Leveling up

How many times have you been told that you can do anything you set your mind to? What about the statement, if you believe it and you can see then you can achieve it? Although inspirational, these statements miss a key factor which often makes them untrue. The key factor is that the “you of today” may not be able to do anything you set your mind to because you’re not ready…yet.

The Peter principle

The business theory that people get promoted to their level of incompetence is called the Peter Principle. It explains why so many mid-level managers aren’t good at what they do. If you’ve ever seen an episode of the television show “The Office,” the character Michael Scott is a prime example. Played by the actor Steve Carell, Michael is an inept manager who thinks he is great. However, that is far from the truth.

In the satyrical world of comedy, the character is uncomfortably funny. We are not laughing with him, but at him because he is so bad at his job. In reality, corporate America is full of Michael Scotts. But why? It’s because he is so inept at his job, yet thinks that he should be running the entire company. Caught in a delusion of grandeur, he can’t comprehend his own shortcomings. He will never be able to achieve the level that he seeks because he doesn’t believe that he has to improve.

What is your current level?

We are all Michael Scotts in one way or another. There are parts of our lives in which we are stuck. We think we are doing all the right things, yet can’t seem to break through. The simple answer as to why is that we can only transition to the next level of our achievement by being uncomfortable with the level we are on. If we delude ourselves into thinking that we are going to change our circumstance without changing ourselves, we fall into delusion.

Sound harsh? It should. Reality is often harsh and change can only come by being harsh with ourselves. If you are falling short at something, don’t despair. Simply commit yourself to changing something about yourself so that you stop falling short. Admit that you are weak, get on a program to get strong, and grow into the “you” who can accomplish the thing you seek. It won’t happen overnight, and the road may be long. However, if you commit yourself to becoming a different person, you will be able to jump to a new level.

You may not be ready to accomplish your life’s goals. Focus on growing into that person first, then the rest will come.