We’re greatly influenced by those around us, especially people we spend most of our time with at work, home and play. If forward motion is the goal, and we’re stuck, new connections might be the way out. If we want to write more or become a better writer, hang out with writers. Same goes for science, music or farming. The key to leveling up in anything is to do it…and to engage with others who are doing it. It can be uncomfortable, especially when we’re the new arrival or relatively unskilled. But the discomfort always fades. It’s merely a portal to new ideas, new methods and new perspectives. The key then isn’t just to decide to swim. It’s to choose who to swim with next. Choose wisely.
The Profession of Leveling Up
Almost everyone wants to level up. They want to move forward, raise their status, perhaps earn more money and feel successful. But almost everyone treats leveling up as a hobby…something to squeeze in when time permits. And who can blame them. School taught us to dislike learning (which is required to level up)…mainly because it was mandatory and boring. And in life after school there’s too much that just gets in the way…jobs, significant others, kids, bosses, mortgages, fun, rest and on and on. As a result, forward progress is significantly slowed, unless it’s something compulsory tied to survival.
The first step then to improve forward motion (if that’s what one seeks) is to recategorize and reprioritize leveling up and the requisite learning that goes with it. It must be changed from a hobby into a profession. This requires discipline and probably some entertainment cutting. But it must be done if any real progress is going to be made. Take running a marathon as an example. A non-runner can’t become a marathon runner (one who completes a marathon) without a disciplined and structured approach to the required training. It just won’t happen if it’s haphazard. So a serious quest results in hiring a coach who demands a schedule so that training is turned into a job. And the job gets done. Or no marathon.
Learning, practicing and training…the things needed to level up need a plan, just like a business needs a plan. Goals need to be set, purpose established (who’s it for?, what’s it for?) strategy and tactics developed. And then we need to clock in, every day, just like we do for our job. We need to develop the habit of learning just like the habit of working…because learning is work. And we need to treat it like our life depends on it…because it probably does…at least for the life we seek.