The Four Stages of Life according to Devin M. Davis are Survival, Security, Success, and Significance. Many of us are very familiar with the first stage and spend a lot of time and energy chasing the other three with little to show for it. Devin, a Retired Marine Corps Veteran and creator of a coaching program that accelerates his clients’ personal and professional growth, says whether or not you feel your life is significant often depends on two factors: what life stage you are in and whether or not you know your why. In his coaching sessions, Devin guides his clients to move through those stages so that they are more financially secure and to use their new success to make a difference in the lives of others.

“First, let me say that you do not necessarily have to be financially successful to live a life of significance,” Devin says. “There are plenty of people who do not have much money but who still impact other individuals for the better. We have all been blessed by them at some point. What I am saying, though, is that many struggle to make ends meet and to get their lives together. You may be one of them. When you become financially secure, that takes a load off your shoulders. It frees your mind from worry and allows you to focus on your big purpose, which can include helping other people get to where you are now.”

As a coach, Devin guides his clients through the Four Stages of Life so that they can impact those around them. He helps people first identify the stage they are at, which is often Survival.

“In the first stage, you are still figuring everything out and are basically making it from day to day,” he explains. “It’s a tough stage to be at, and sometimes you fall into it more than once. I have helped my clients to identify the reasons they are in Survival, which might include mismanagement of money or the lack of a solid job. Whatever the reasons may be, I then guide them to take practical, easy steps to move through Survival to the next stage: Security.”

In this second stage, Devin’s clients are comfortable and are paying the bills. He says it’s a good place to be and is a definite improvement over Survival.

“Even so, can you look down the road and see the problem with Security?” he asks. “Yes, after the stress and uncertainty of Survival, having the money to pay your mortgage each month is great. However, are you playing the long game? In Security, you’re not able to truly save for retirement or to have money for any extras. Leveling up to Success, the third stage, is important for your personal growth.”

Success is what so many aim for but fall short of attaining: financial security. You are saving realistically for retirement each month, you have money for extras, and any financial pressures are distant memories.

“This is when so many of my clients can take a breath and really evaluate what they want to do with their lives,” says Devin. “True, money is not everything, as we all know individuals who are wealthy but desperately unhappy. But, with money in the bank and everything you want, you are now free to contemplate stage 4: Significance.”

This, Devin believes, is a wonderful place to be at in life. With it comes the joys of leaving a legacy for those who come after you, delving more deeply into your purpose, and using your success to help others.

“When you have enough and have attained everything you dreamed of, it leads to a new journey: understanding why you are at this stage and how you can use your life and resources to improve the lives of other people,” Devin explains. “It is always one of the pleasures of my career as a coach to help my clients discover their purpose.”

Everyone, he says, is capable of living a life of significance. As Mark Twain once said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”

“When you reach the Significance stage, you are blessed with a completely different perspective on who you are and why you matter,” Devin believes. “Nothing is sweeter than living into your purpose and seeing how you impact those around you.”

Devin M. Davis is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Veteran and self-made entrepreneur who has built several successful businesses, including a business coaching company and a financial services business. As the author of Business Credit Secrets and the builder of Boost Score Now, he has taught and studied finance, credit, business, money, motivation and leadership for many years. Devin is using what he knows about attaining success to help more people understand that there really are no elevators to success – only the stairs that they choose to walk up, one step at a time.