Every next level of life will demand a different you. — Leonardo DiCaprio
In the road to get what we want, we work hard, we struggle and strive. We put in the work, we pay the price in blood, sweat and tears. We hustle to make things happen. We battle inertia and gain some momentum. We push and get knocked back. We win some and we lose some. We battle impossible odds and somehow, miraculously, come out the other side.
And then it happens. We break through. Things that seemed so hard become easier. Taking action becomes the norm and we get into a groove, we start to win, sporadically at first, but over time we win more consistently. We master our present challenges. We have built new habits, new ways of thinking, we have gained some measure of control.
The temptation here is to ease up and rest on one’s oars, allowing oneself to drift and bask in the glory of the past victory. And there is a place for that, the celebration, the reward, the rest. But soon, you must pick up your tools and continue your journey. Plateaus exist to be savored and enjoyed, but not to be remained in. You have to push further, to learn more, to get stronger.
You have to move to the next level.
You have gained competence or mastery over these old problems, it is time to embrace new ones.
Now it means that we can look forward to the horizon, to the things we have intuited and sensed in the distance. The things that we must tackle next and explore. Deficiencies that we must turn our attention to and fix.
Leveling up is generally marked by a transition, by a change. Sometimes that change is physical or social and tangible. Other times, it is more internal, marked by a shift in mentality or perspective. But in whichever form it emerges, the new level should be honored.
You know you have reached a new level, when the things that used to trip you up, are much easier to manage. Your brain is somewhat rewired, you have grown wiser and your conviction deeper. The things that used to interest you, don’t interest you as much. Sometimes it is the things that used to inspire and drive you. Somehow it feels like they have lost their luster. It just means you are operating at a higher level. You have to come to terms to this step in your evolution.
Going to the next level means that we have gained powers and experience, but it also means that we must tackle the whole thing again, diving back into the fray, albeit on a different level than we are used to. Growth is predicated on deliberate practice and working at the edge of strain, the point where we feel stretched.
It is a call as always, to return to the basics, and reinforce them. It is an exhortation to return to the rhythm to consistency, with renewed purpose and vigor, with heavier weights, and greater expectation. To draw even more from yourself. It is an invitation to go even deeper, to press further, to expand your limits. To shine a light into the dark places you refused to go before and boldly proceed. To challenge your mentality and limiting beliefs even more.
And that is the essence of growth. The ability to change one’s actions effectively to create new results. To move from peak to peak and emerge into deeper, more authentic and powerful ways of being.
With it, we move closer and closer to getting what we want.
