tice expects others to readily recognise the quality of his efforts. But her ignorance of office politics and obvious vulnerability is likely to lead to her being short-changed and overlooked in the process. If the apprentice fails to get the recognition she craves, she could end up living out her career trapped as an experienced apprentice and well short of her dream. Afraid of overt conflict, she either turns into a This early period of self-discovery is marked – particularly for men – by a particular dream (like being a millionaire, or travelling the world), one which will dominate the rest of their life and be used as the measure by which to assess their self-worth and talent. They will set a personal direction and clear objectives to frame that dream; one that often carries a specific time limit ("by the time I'm 35"). A clear and confident vision, this dream will probably dictate their life for the next twenty years.

For most women, it is the time to set goals too, but they are more short-term, more to do with being noticed, leaving home, setting up on their own and seeking a partner than getting into any specific long-term career. Friendships with other women may be complicated because, while women bond easily and closely at this stage, the search for a love relationship means that fellow women may be perceived as a threat to the prospects of having children. However, more females are gradually moving into career paths at this stage than they were at the time of the first Seasons study, so this time is also more complex for them.

Staging Post 1 is the stage of ‘the apprentice’, the learner; one who is defined by his/her need for approval and fear of risk. A time when women, in particular, will accept any wage to be employed while men will push their luck. The ambitious apprentice strives for perfection and longs to be judged worthy by his superiors. He is likely to move from job to job as his efforts are often foiled by his false, simplistic and ignorant assumptions about the workplace. Guided by his belief that good work is its own advertisement, the apprentice expects others to readily recognise the quality of his efforts. But her ignorance of office politics and obvious vulnerability is likely to lead to her being short-changed and overlooked in the process. If the apprentice fails to get the recognition she craves, she could end up living out her career trapped as an experienced apprentice and well short of her dream. Afraid of overt conflict, she either turns into a c

and confident vision, this dream will probably dictate their life for the next twenty years.

For most women, it is the time to set goals too, but they are more short-term, more to do with being noticed, leaving home, setting up on their own and seeking a partner than getting into any specific long-term career. Friendships with other women may be complicated because, while women bond easily and closely at this stage, the search for a love relationship means that fellow women may be perceived as a threat to the prospects of having children. However, more females are gradually moving into career paths at this stage than they were at the time of the first Seasons study, so this time is also more complex for them.

Staging Post 1 is the stage of ‘the apprentice’, the learner; one who is defined by his/her need for approval and fear of risk. A time when women, in particular, will accept any wage to be employed while men will push their luck. The ambitious apprentice strives for perfection and longs to be judged worthy by his superiors. He is likely to move from job to job as his efforts are often foiled by his false, simplistic and ignorant assumptions about the workplace. Guided by his belief that good work is its own advertisement, the apprentice expects others to readily recognise the quality of his efforts. But her ignorance of office politics and obvious vulnerability is likely to lead to her being short-changed and overlooked in the process. If the apprentice fails to get the recognition she craves, she could end up living out her career trapped as an experienced apprentice and well short of her dream. Afraid of overt conflict, she either turns into a

e, the search for a love relationship means that fellow women may be perceived as a threat to the prospects of having children. However, more females are gradually moving into career paths at this stage than they were at the time of the first Seasons study, so this time is also more complex for them.

Staging Post 1 is the stage of ‘the apprentice’, the learner; one who is defined by his/her need for approval and fear of risk. A time when women, in particular, will accept any wage to be employed while men will push their luck. The ambitious apprentice strives for perfection and longs to be judged worthy by his superiors. He is likely to move from job to job as his efforts are often foiled by his false, simplistic and ignorant assumptions about the workplace. Guided by his belief that good work is its own advertisement, the apprentice expects others to readily recognise the quality of his efforts. But her ignorance of office politics and obvious vulnerability is likely to lead to her being short-changed and overlooked in the process. If the apprentice fails to get the recognition she craves, she could end up living out her career trapped as an experienced apprentice and well short of her dream. Afraid of overt conflict, she either turns into a

ear of risk. A time when women, in particular, will accept any wage to be employed while men will push their luck. The ambitious apprentice strives for perfection and longs to be judged worthy by his superiors. He is likely to move from job to job as his efforts are often foiled by his false, simplistic and ignorant assumptions about the workplace. Guided by his belief that good work is its own advertisement, the apprentice expects others to readily recognise the quality of his efforts. But her ignorance of office politics and obvious vulnerability is likely to lead to her being short-changed and overlooked in the process. If the apprentice fails to get the recognition she craves, she could end up living out her career trapped as an experienced apprentice and well short of her dream. Afraid of overt conflict, she either turns into a tice expects others to readily recognise the quality of his efforts. But her ignorance of office politics and obvious vulnerability is likely to lead to her being short-changed and overlooked in the process. If the apprentice fails to get the recognition she craves, she could end up living out her career trapped as an experienced apprentice and well short of her dream. Afraid of overt conflict, she either turns into a canteen cynic or finds ways to rationalise her unhappiness (‘It’s only a job. It’s too late for me to change careers’ etc.). Or, the apprentice can use his chronic frustration as the goal to move into the role of ‘the warrior’, always on the campaigning trail and never at peace with his life or environment.

Narrow Thinking and Invincibility

This period is closely allied to the future, with the acknowledgement that a lot of life is yet to be lived. The reflection on death by a person at Staging Post 6 would have little relevance or meaning to a person at this first stage. Young people do not think about death because the mere thought of it is scary enough, let alone to dwell upon it. Moreover, to them, death seems to affect mainly older people around them, which makes the loss of one of their peers entirely devastating and beyond comprehension. Thinking in this early stage of adulthood is quite narrow, almost black and white. Everything has easy, precise answers. Life is very busy, but it hasn’t become terribly complex as yet. That’s for Staging Post 3.

Thus the early adult years are marked by hope, a futuristic outlook, a fairly clear-cut dream and a great deal of energy in realising this dream – one that will dictate both the perspective and direction the person adopts. The main limitations at this time are a lack of life experience and the tendency to see life through simple, narrow lenses. But people are usually able to put up with the limitations in Staging Post 1 because they feel untouchable, sometimes invincible and expect the future to be entirely in their favour. The hard knocks of life are a comfortable distance away from the ro