Jump Levels

Deeply embedded into our nature is a tendency to be comfortable. As individuals, we enjoy being at ease, contented, and relaxed. Rarely do we enjoy pushing our minds and bodies to extend our outer limits. Seldom, do we push past our comfort zone. As a result, we frequently avoid daunting tasks. We prefer minimal responsibility and a lack of undertakings. However, being at ease does not benefit us. It only makes us relish in our inadequacies. It does not better us in any regard. We don’t get smarter. We don’t get tougher. We don’t get stronger. We don’t improve. Instead, we need to do everything in our power to take on those daunting tasks in an effort to improve. It is what will build us up as people. It is what will develop our character and cultivate us into tough individuals.

We have to take each moment of every day as an opportunity to “jump into the deep end”. We need to start reaching for new heights to jump levels. To better understand this, I will relate it to sports. When you start out as a young athlete, you compete against opponents who usually are of a similar skill. You only improve when you push yourself each day in practice and compete against people who are actually better than you. At first, it’s a difficult task and you lose while facing the tougher competition; but, eventually you overcome your faults and you improve to be able to compete with them. That is what is known as “jumping levels”.

The new level makes the old level look unimpressive and almost laughable. If you went back, you would pounce on your old opponents. So again, you need to take the approach of competing against even better people if you want to improve.

When you play college sports, the rigorous training you go through and the experience you gain all makes you better at your sport. And you say to yourself: “Only if I knew what I know now when I was in high school...”. You faced tougher competition and you forced yourself into a more uncomfortable environment where you were compelled to improve. The key is to take on those daunting tasks of facing the tough competition now and your success will radiate.

The level above us always seems incredibly intimidating, so we usually avoid it. It is discouraging to lose and it is frightening to stick your neck out there. It’s part of an unfamiliar territory where we become uneasy, past our comfort zone. We are all comfortable doing undemanding and painless tasks. We are all comfortable winning. Our mind is at ease when we know we can succeed without any challenge or defiance. However, what comes with that comfort is a life of never improving. Your progression is eliminated altogether. However, when you go into unchartered waters of extending past your comfort zone; that is when you improve. You will be tested to reach your absolute limits. You’ll have to be brave and struggle in order to succeed. But it is those moments that define you into who you are. It is those moments that make you progress into the person you want to become.

So, apply this theory to all aspects of life. Push past your comfort zone and your zone will inherently expand to allow you to adapt all while taking on increasingly harder challenges. Never stay satisfied with where you currently are. Always look to improve. Always seek to jump levels.
 
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