It was 2018.

I was about to switch jobs, moving to a Big Four firm. On paper, this was the dream — stepping into management consulting, entering the world I had always imagined for myself.

And yet, something felt off.

I was so busy chasing the outer game that I forgot to look inwards.

A few years had flown since college, and I had quietly slipped into the 9–5 loop: commute (WFH was rare), work, party on weekends, repeat.

I rarely exercised.
I rarely played.
I rarely ate clean.

My body started feeling heavy, my mind foggy. And I was so unconscious about it that I was trying to find comfort within this discomfort.

However, it soon brought a wake-up call, and I had to ask myself:
What am I really doing with myself? Where is this heading?

Looking back, 2018 became my pivot year. Slowly and awkwardly, I began shifting toward a better version of myself.

And in that process, I stumbled on a way of looking at life differently — what I now call The Blocks of Life.

This simple shift in perspective helped me:

• • Embrace slow and steady change.
  • Stop rushing into things.
  • Take a long-term and sustainable view.

Let’s understand the concept and how it can help you in designing the life you’ve always imagined.

Why the Blocks?

We need to focus on the present and learn to live each day with balance and purpose.

It’s almost non-negotiable if you want to find true contentment.

In my previous article, I shared this idea along with three simple rules to thrive in life. Click to read.

But alongside that, you also need a compass — a way to know if you’re headed in the right direction.

Think of it like maintaining your car.

You don’t go to the workshop every other day. A periodic check once or twice a year is good enough.

The blocks are those alignment checks. They help you zoom out, see the bigger picture, and reset if needed.

How to Think in Blocks?

It’s actually quite simple — I’m narrowing it down to the five points below:

1. Grab a pen and paper

Let’s take the human ambition to live ~100 years.

Break these 100 years into 5-year blocks — you’ll have 20 in total.

20 chapters to write the story of your life.

2. Find your place

Mark where you are on this canvas.

For instance, I’m currently in block H.

3. Zoom out

Pause. Step back. Ask yourself:

• • What skills have I acquired so far?
  • Where do my true interests lie?
  • Out of these, which are the ones that allow me to create the impact for myself and others?

4. Pick a single theme

Now that you have narrowed it down to a few interests, e.g. Music, vlogging, coding…

Choose the most significant one and align all your efforts with it in this block (or the next, if you’re nearing the end of your current one).

5. Reflect and review

Check your progress, say once every six months.

Re-align if needed, but keep moving toward that selected theme for the block.

Illustration by the Author

Each block is long enough to build something meaningful, yet short enough to reimagine your approach. And it’s up to you if you want to stick with one theme for your life or pursue different ones each block.

Back in 2018, I had just entered block G. I’d turned 30, and things began to shift. I zoomed out on this canvas and started with the questions above.

Then I realised the best path for me — given my skills and interests — was to start transitioning into writing. Now, in block H, I’m acting on that theme: sharing work on my personal blog, manmohanjoshi.com and on Medium.

As this Chinese proverb goes:

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best is now.

So plant that seed today — whatever it is — in your current block.
Nurture it, let it grow, and the harvest will come later.

Illustration by the Author. Graphics credit: ChatGPT

Thinking in Blocks Helps You:

1. Remove urgency

Most of us live as if we don’t have enough time. But when you see life in blocks, you see space. You don’t need to rush into everything today. You can experiment, fail in one block, and carry the lessons into the next.

2. Gain perspective

Blocks lift you out of the everyday monotony. They let you zoom out to appreciate where you’ve been, and plan where you’re headed.

3. Take control

Blocks help you understand that life is not a sprint but a long marathon. In 5-year cycles, you learn to set your own pace — in career, health, relationships — without the pressure of racing with others.

4. Live intentionally

Each block can have a theme or purpose. One may be about building a career, the next about family, and another about entrepreneurship.

5. Let rewards compound

Your efforts in one block lay the foundation for the next. Over time, the value compounds — shaping not just your life, but the lives of those you touch.

If you have ever had this thought, “I don’t have time for that,” then let me reassure you: you do.

You don’t need to figure out the whole journey right now. Just choose what this block — or the next — will be about, and give yourself fully to it.

To reiterate, every harvest begins with a seed. Plant yours today, and let the story of your life unfold, one block at a time.