Productivity vs. Stagnation

In the middle-age stage of life, people become more aware of their eventual death. Their core struggle is between productivity and stagnation. Failure to reach their dreams can cause great pain in this stage. Therefore, the way in which you measure your productivity will determine your success in this stage. How do you measure your productivity or success? How does this measure impact your demonstration of love, respect, and honesty? Many people in this stage gauge their productivity by morally relativistic standards. They look at how society measures productivity. If you measure your productivity by symbols of success such as wealth, you will focus your efforts on the pursuit of those symbols. Along the way you may have to make sacrifices in other areas, including time away from the other person in your relationship. Wealth and other typical symbols of productivity are worthwhile pursuits, as long as you do not define your worth and value by your attainment of them.

In this stage of development, people compare their self-potential to their present achievements. Take time to identify personal growth opportunities along with your new life experiences. Focus on your ability to meet new people, participate in new activities, and learn new skills, which will help you to reach this potential. People in this stage also want to achieve self-acceptance. In order to do this, you must be able to develop realistic goals in life. These steps may help alleviate the emotional distress that accompanies midlife. Your relationships may depend upon it!