certain principles , that will stack the odds in your favour . These principles are sometimes different for different life stages .
So , the old Bard said that life has seven cycles . Of course , there can be as many stages in your life depending on your approach . But seven is an interesting number : seven continents , seven seas , seven heavens , seven notes of music , seven colours in the visible rainbow , seven main atomic groups , seven days in the week , seven deadly sins , seven habits of highly effective people , seven pillars of wisdom . Perhaps we can agree with Shakespeare that there are also seven cycles of man .
I would take the first life ( or wealth ) cycle as the infant and primary school phase , perhaps even the early high school years . I would call it Awakening the genius . That is because Albert Einstein has said that every child is born a genius ( in his or her own unique way ). In this cycle , parents are usually the most important influence on a young life . This is the cycle where a person ’ s emotional backbone and moral compass are shaped . And it is vital to have this in place by the time that one “ graduates ” from this phase . A flawed moral compass can be wealth destroying in later years . Parents often find this responsibility a bit daunting . But it is probably fairly simple , boiling down to a youngster experiencing a good example , security , love and basic acceptance at home .
We can take the second cycle as the late high school and tertiary education years . I would call it the Creating capacity cycle . In this cycle , other role models , typically teachers / educators and friends become the most important influence . It is the cycle when a young person has to figure out what he / she wants to do in life , perhaps the career that he / she wants to pursue . People in this cycle start to accept responsibility for their destinies and study and grow themselves because they are driven by goals . Selfdiscipline and perseverance start to develop . It is also important to get around the right people , choosing mentors and friends carefully . Success later in life will often be determined by the “ reference group ” in this phase . Warren Buffet once said : “ If you tell me who your friends and heroes are , I can tell you how you are going to turn out in life ”.
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The road to the greatest achievements in many ( professional ) lives was paved by subtle , positive routines .
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This is especially the cycle when people really start to form habits . Of course , one can learn and unlearn habits throughout life , but it is often the habits in this early life phase that will colour a life in lasting ways . It was Aristotle who observed that we are what we repeatedly do . Likewise , most of our regrettable slip-ups are the result of ongoing bad practices . It is not the last chop that fells a tree , but the hundreds of steady ones before it . The difference between an experience of financial freedom later in life and a constant battle with money often lies in the choice of lifetime habits that got cemented in this life phase . I would take the third life ( or wealth ) cycle as the first ( but usually short ) phase of a career , say the first five or ten years .
It could include a travelling / exploring phase . In this phase , people often jump around between jobs . I would call this phase Finding your niche . Russel Lowell said in the 19 th century that no one is born into this world whose work is not born with him . And Abraham Maslow said a few years later that “ a musician must make music ; a poet must write ; an artist must paint ; if he is to ultimately be at peace with himself ”. So , this phase is all about figuring yourself out . Us professionals have been trained in the previous phase as lawyers , accountants , actuaries , engineers , whatever . But what do we want to do with that foundation ? Am I built for corporate life , do I like working in big teams or am I an entrepreneur ? What am I true to ? What is my greatest joy ? What is my natural curiosity ? What should the world not expect from me , what am I not ? We all come from a story , the previous phases , but eventually , we become what we choose , what we want to be . There is a beautiful section in Bruce Wilkinson ’ s Dream Giver which , after some editing for the sake of brevity , reads : “ And then he told his father of his dream . His voice trembled . He was sure that his father would laugh or call him a fool . But his father didn ’ t . ‘ I am not surprised to hear you say these things . You have had that dream since you were little . Don ’ t you remember ? You used to build that same dream with sticks and mud in front of this very house ’.”
The fourth and middle phase is the centre of our careers , a phase that can often last for decades . It is all about Focusing your attention . Responsibility has replaced the “ high speed ” years . Your “ business ” ( profession ) is your primary focus . Often , there
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