Navigating Life's Journey: Introducing the Life Stages Map

2 Nov

At iDecide, we understand that life is a journey filled with transitions and milestones. As we navigate the complexities of adulthood, the need to manage our life admin becomes increasingly important. Inspired by the Life Quarters Model, we’ve developed our own framework - the Life Stages Map, to help you identify the stages in your life where it’s crucial to start considering your end-of-life planning and administrative needs.

Understanding the Life Quarters

The Life Quarters Model, as detailed by Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, presents a perspective on adult development dividing our lives into four distinct quarters: Grow (Q1), Achieve (Q2), Becoming (Q3), and Harvesting (Q4). Each quarter signifies a phase with its own challenges, purposes, and opportunities for growth.

Q1: Grow (Ages 0-24) emphasises exploration and learning, laying the foundation for our future.
Q2: Achieve (Ages 25-49) is about establishing careers, building relationships, and proving oneself to society.
Q3: Becoming (Ages 50-74) introduces a new phase of active adulthood, where individuals often redefine their aspirations and contribute meaningfully to society.
Q4: Harvesting (Ages 75-100) focuses on reaping the rewards of a lifetime of experiences, fostering legacy and purpose.

While the Life Quarters Model provides a framework for understanding our development, we recognised the need for a practical approach to life admin at each stage of our life journey.

This is where our Life Stages Map comes in.

Introducing the Life Stages Map

iDecide’s Life Stages Map is designed to help you navigate the specific administrative needs that arise throughout different phases of your life. Here’s how we’ve adapted the Life Quarters to better serve your planning needs:

Stage 1: Early Adulthood (Ages 18-29)

In this foundational stage, you’re establishing independence. It’s the perfect time to start considering basic legal documents, such as living wills (once you start owning assets and have superannuation building from your work) as well as powers of attorney, this is important in case you need to have someone step in for you if you become unwell and unable to make decisions for yourself. Our resources will guide you through the essentials of financial literacy and help you set personal goals. You can get a very quick and easy Will prepared through our Strategic Partner ‘Will Pro’ where they have broken down the process of getting a Will into bite-sized, easy steps, no overwhelm just all business.

Stage 2: Family and Career Building (Ages 30-49)

As you enter this busy phase, balancing family, career, and personal aspirations becomes paramount. We provide tools for family planning, financial management, and estate planning to ensure you can navigate the complexities of life admin while pursuing your goals.

Stage 3: Midlife Transition (Ages 50-74)

This stage recognises the active, vibrant lives we lead well into our 70s. Our Life Stages Map offers resources for retirement planning, health management, and legacy documentation, empowering you to reflect on your achievements and set new aspirations for this dynamic phase. This is by no means a stage where we put our feet up - it’s often some of the busiest times of our lives. Often we are buying and selling property, building new businesses and starting new hobbies - all of this can be captured in iDecide’s platform.

Stage 4: Later Life Reflections (Ages 75-100)

In this stage, we focus on the importance of relationships, purpose, and meaningful contributions to society. Our tools will guide you through end-of-life planning, memory sharing, and support resources, helping you embrace this phase confidently and clearly. Here we support you in making the decisions you need and to give you a voice in what you want to have happen related to end-of-life planning as well. Communication is key in this stage.

Why This Matters

Understanding where you are in your life journey is essential to effectively managing your life admin. The Life Stages Map is not just a framework; it’s a roadmap to help you prepare for the future, make informed decisions, and ensure that you and your loved ones are taken care of. We are here to take the overwhelm, as we like to say at iDecide ‘be prepared, not scared’ - being organised enables you to get on with the job of living and enjoying life right now.

At iDecide, we’re committed to providing you with the resources and support you need to navigate each stage of your life. By creating the Life Stages Map, we empower you to approach your life admin proactively, allowing you to focus on what truly matters, living your life to the fullest, no regrets!

Explore the Life Stages Map Today!

Are you ready to take the next step in your life admin journey?

Visit our platform to sign up and be the first to explore the Life Stages Map as soon as we launch and discover the tailored resources that await you. Let’s navigate this journey together!

Rechelle Leahy