Daniel Levinson's concept of life structure represents a different approach to adult development. A life structure includes all the roles an individual occupies, all their relationships, and the conflicts and balance that exist between them. “Like Erikson, Levinson asserted that an underlying order exists in the life course. But where Erikson suggested that happiness depends on one's ability to successfully complete these stages, Levinson simply viewed the seasons as common difficulties associated with a certain age; the tasks of a period are not better or more advanced than those of another, except in the whole. I feel that each period builds on the work of the previous ones and represents a later phase of the cycle (.)” Levinson hypothesized that each period presents the adult with new developmental tasks and conflicts. Levinson believed that individuals responded psychologically to these tasks and conflicts by creating new life structures. As a result, adults go through periods of stability. When adults enter a period in which a new life structure is necessary, there is a period of adjustment, which Levinson calls the novice phase, and in the intermediate phase, adults become more competent in meeting the challenge. new challenge through reassessment and reorganization of life. structure they create during the novice phase. Stability returns in the culminating phase, when adults have successfully created a life structure that allows them to manage the demands of new developmental challenges with more confidence and less distress. For example, marriage requires a new life structure. Even if the newlyweds have known each other for a very long time or live together, they do not know each other in the role of husband and wife. Also...... middle of paper ......tion and your lifestyle which includes your health, your pleasure, your family and your development. I believe your work-life balance is something that will always change over time, and the right balance for you today will likely be different for you tomorrow. The right balance for you will be different when you are single, compared to when you are married and have children. Your work-life balance will also vary when you start a new career or when you are close to retirement. Works Cited Allen, S. (nd). Leadership Review - A publication of the Kravis Leadership Institute at Claremont McKenna College. Leadership Review - A publication of the Kravis Leadership Institute at Claremont McKenna College. Retrieved March 23, 2014. Arnett, Jeffrey. “Emerging adulthood.” A theory of development from late adolescence through the 1920s. Np, and Web. March 24. 2014.