Hi, I’m Monika, a ‘middle-aged‘ adult currently living in Germany.
A life of travel and culture
Throughout my life, I’ve had the pleasure of living in and traveling to many different countries, which gave me the chance to experience a variety of cultures, religions, and languages firsthand. I was born in India to Hindu parents, and I’ve lived in Muslim Pakistan, Christian USA, Germany, and Sweden, atheist Czechoslovakia, and Buddhist/Confucian China. As a tourist, I’ve visited more than 40 countries. I speak English, German, Spanish, Swedish, Hindi, Urdu and some Mandarin Chinese.
One thing that has stood out to me in all these countries, despite their differences, is how easy it was to make connections and form friendships. Everywhere, people shared similar dreams and goals. The aspirations for social, financial, and personal growth are not that different across the globe. Further, people with similar academic and economic backgrounds seem to follow similar life patterns, no matter where they live.
For those in the middle-income group, especially those with academic backgrounds, I noticed that life patterns often converge. During school and college years, my peers and I were all going through similar experiences. But even after that, across the world, we were following similar paths in sync—starting our first jobs, getting married, becoming parents, buying homes, and facing challenges like illness or family issues, often in waves.
This led me to think about the Universal Stages of Life.
Universal Stages of Life
I started reading and researching, diving into several books and articles about life stages. I found many fascinating theories, but none seemed to fully capture what I was observing around me. There are lots of detailed theories on child development (from Freud, Piaget, etc.), but not as many on adult development. Many of the existing theories define adult life in broad terms, with long periods (like Erikson’s 20-40 and 40-65 stages). Some are outdated and don’t take into account the increasing life expectancy (with old age often defined as anything beyond 60, as seen in Levinson’s work). Others still stick to traditional gender roles, and only a few consider the newer stage of “emerging adulthood,” since most of the studies were conducted decades ago.
After reflecting on what I’d read, my own experiences, discussions, and observations, I found that dividing life into stages of 6-year felt natural and aligned with today’s lifestyles. I call these stages “Blobs.” Through this blog, I hope to share my thoughts, reach a wider audience, and spark interesting discussions.
I hope you enjoy reading, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments. Do you notice similar patterns in your life? Let’s talk about it! Or download your Life Stages in Blobs Worksheet now and start your journey!
Click here to get started on the Blobs!
Spring: 1-6, 7-12, 13-18, 19-24
Summer: 25-30, 31-36, 37-42, 43-48
Autumn: 49-54, 55-60, 61-66, 67-72
Winter: 73-78, 79-84, 85-91, 91-…
Life Stages in Six-Year Blobs – Personal Growth by Age 
Hi Monica,
Your blog was a fascinating discovery for me.
I truly appreciate how you’ve questioned the conventional notion of 7-year cycles – a challenge I’ve encountered in my own reflections.
Our backgrounds share some similarities; I was born in India and have lived in various countries, currently calling Italy home. Interestingly, I’ll be organizing a biography workshop here next week. I’m excited to introduce the perspective of 6-year cycles among the Anthroposophists.
Warm greetings and best wishes for your continued explorations.
Aroon
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Hi Aroon,
Thank you for your kind comment! I’m glad you enjoyed the blog and found the idea of 6-year cycles interesting. It’s great to hear we have some shared experiences, especially with our backgrounds and living in different countries.
Your biography workshop sounds really exciting, and I’d love to know how the idea of 6-year cycles was received by the participants. I hope it sparks some interesting discussions! Best wishes for your workshop, and thanks again for reaching out.
Monika
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Hello Monika – I found your website while researching a new/modern idea of life “stages” or “milestones.” Most are defined by marriage, home ownership, kids and retirement. These stages fit some well enough, but don’t fit single people or childfree people very well, and pretty much stop after age 60 or so. I’m researching how we might define life stages beyond the traditional/mid-twentieth century framework. My work is in personal finance and I’m curious about your background and what brings you to construct the blob framework. Thanks.
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Hi,
Thank you for your comment! I agree with you that traditional life stages often don’t reflect the diverse ways people live their lives today. It’s one of the reasons I started exploring the “blob framework” as a way to capture a more fluid, personal, and inclusive perspective on how life changes over time.
I’m not an expert in personal finance (though I find it fascinating!), but my background and motivation stem more from personal reflection. The framework arose as I looked back at my life and noticed patterns—how my priorities, challenges, and joys shifted approximately every six years. It became a way for me to make sense of my own experiences and connect with others who might see life transitions in a similar way, regardless of age or traditional milestones.
I’d love to hear more about your research. It sounds like you’re tackling an important and modern topic, and I’m curious how personal finance intersects with redefining life stages.
Thank you again for reaching out, and I’m happy to connect further if you’d like to discuss this more!
Best,
Monika
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I have also added a “Contact” form, if you prefer to exchange thoughts via email.
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