As near as I can figure out, I seem to be stuck at all four of your stages simultaneously. Over the years (I’m now 73) I’ve taken on each of your new sets of challenges, without in the least having resolved or put away any of the previous issues. I’m left trying to solve the whole ball of wax simultaneously. And the effect is pretty much paralyzing.

I can’t say that I’ve ever made particularly good decisions. For most of my life, I have gotten by on a combination of privilege and extremely good luck, at least at key points. Things have come up out of the woodwork to save my bacon when it was threatened. However, I have finally run out of bacon — without any of the skills that would allow me to either learn to live without bacon or go get some more. Having resolved none of your sequence of questions, I have floundered for some years now. Losing my job and then being unable to secure any kind of meaningful work since then has left me both emotionally and financially bankrupt.

Perhaps things could have been different if I had been able to progress as you suggest. But it’s a bit late in the game now. It would be something to consider for my next reincarnation, if I believed that I was in for one rather than simple evaporation of my consciousness.