When Ciara sang about levelling up, many people took one look at her husband and assumed she was singing about him.

Fair enough.
Russell Wilson was an upgrade from her previous (publicised) attempt at romance.

But what a lot of people don’t seem to realise when they talk about levelling up, is that the man was just a reflection of her headspace!

So, if levelling up – whether in your personal or professional life – is important to you, read this blog post to the end to see the four things people don’t really tell you about levelling up.

1) Levelling up starts with a mindset shift

This might come across as elitist, but you just cannot successfully live in Asokoro with an Ajegunle mindset. You might not even be able to move in the first place.

There’s a reason motivational speakers and mindset coaches say you have to see it in your mind before you can hold it in your hand. The reason is – it’s the truth.

If you truly believe certain things are beyond you, you’ll eventually find out that you are right.

Is it possible to become financially rich when you have a poverty mindset? Yes. You just won’t be able to maintain it; one will sooner or later give way for the other.

2) Levelling up isn’t done openly

Although people only know and say you’ve levelled up when they see certain external things, levelling up actually starts internally.

They can attend your uni graduation or see the pictures on Instagram or LinkedIn, but they didn’t see you studying, researching for your essays or actually writing your dissertation.

They may see you get accolades for the music album, the promotion or the person of your dreams. BUT they never saw you in the studio for hours at a time or the work you had to do while getting coaching and getting rid of your demons. Cos levelling up requires moving in silence and being OK with it.

I remember that after my first book came out, someone said they didn’t even realise I had been writing a book! But I’d had no reason to tell them; their knowledge of the fact while I was doing it, was of no benefit to me, my process or my goal.

3) Levelling up takes commitment

While levelling up can start with one decision that you might not announce, motivation won’t help you see it through.

It requires commitment and that’s tough because of the way it plays out. You start doing or abstaining from certain things you wouldn’t, normally.

Whether it’s in the media you consume or the people you surround yourself with, you make decisions that some people might laugh at, be bewildered by or annoyed at.

You realise that
✅ it’s very rare for one to be genuinely happily married IF ALL YOUR FRIENDS OR RELATIVES are divorced, in bad marriages or horrible spouses
✅ it’ll be difficult for you to stay in school if everyone around you says, thinks and strongly believes school is a scam. Or if your favourite celebrity keeps saying it
✅ there’s no point blocking the phone number of a toxic person, if you’re going to keep commenting on their Instagram or giving them access to you on Facebook
✅ you’re not going to lose the weight or keep it off, if you keep people around you who mock your goals
So you do what’s necessary – even if it’s painful at first.

Commitment is carrying on even when motivation has run out. Mindset changes and corresponding actions must be sustained, in order for desired results to show up.

4) Levelling up takes as much time as it takes

I get it; we live in an era where patience is a cuss word. But it takes a while to get from wherever/whatever you are to your desired state.

Nobody graduates from uni the day after they gained admission. Not legitimately, anyway.

If you turn 25 before anyone tells you that you are worthy of anything good, you’re probably not going to have the new story as your mindset within 25minutes.

Just as with becoming, levelling up takes time. It might take you longer than it did someone else, but that’s OK because comparison is the thief of joy.

I help young women who are in Law OR Media to develop strong voices, solid careers and stable personal lives. If this is something you are interested in, apply for your paid consultation HERE.

Have you just learned something new or surprising about levelling up? Let me know in the comments section below.