LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST EPISODE:
For the month of August, we’re going to be talking about Upleveling — what it is, why it’s so hard, and also the easiest way to do it (so there’s no struggle or backsliding). Plus, next week on the podcast I’ll be talking to one of my rockstar clients who beautifully embodies upleveling, and we’ll hear her story, which includes a rapidly expanding business + quitting her full-time job!
Needless to say, we’ve got lots of good stuff in store for you this month. Buckle up!
To kick off the Uplevel conversation today, I want to talk about 2 things: (1) what Upleveling is and (2) why it’s so friggin’ hard!
You ready? Let’s dive in…
What exactly does it mean to Uplevel?
To me, Uplevel means to reach for more; to reach beyond the limits of your comfort zone, knowing that as you dream bigger, think bigger and do bigger, you’ll naturally expand your capacities to hold more love, success, joy, abundance and the like. A Google search says Upleveling is “to elevate beyond current capabilities or perceptions.” Seems like we agree :-)
Now, let’s get real...Upleveling sounds great, but it can be really uncomfortable. So uncomfortable in fact that we often (consciously or subconsciously) fight it, preferring to stay with the status quo or even continue with something painful instead of risking the growing pains of Upleveling.
As humans, it’s been shown that when we’re given the choice of a discomfort we know (staying exactly where we are, even if it sucks) or a discomfort we don’t know (growth and Upleveling), we tend to choose the former.
Why exactly is Upleveling so hard for us?
Upleveling requires us to make shifts in habits, routines, behaviors, beliefs, relationships and values. Basically, it’s asking you to deconstruct who you’ve been your whole life and explore new ways of being. That’s tough!
And, the reason we feel this so acutely (and why New Year’s resolutions don’t stick, and we fall short of big goals) is because Upleveling stirs up cognitive dissonance. If that term is new to you, cognitive dissonance is “the mental discomfort that results from holding two conflicting beliefs, values or attitudes. People tend to seek consistency in their attitudes and perceptions, so this conflict causes feelings of unease or discomfort. This inconsistency between what people believe and how they behave motivates people to engage in actions that will help minimize feelings of discomfort” (VeryWellMind.com).
Basically, when we’re attempting to Uplevel, we experience a boatload of cognitive dissonance because we’re attempting to act in a way that is not congruent with our underlying beliefs. For example, let’s say you’re trying to take actions to get more clients and make more money, but your internal dialogue is saying “You’re not good enough. No one will work with you. Making money is hard,” and that feels terrible. No matter what you do, you internally feel like you’re destined to fail, so you give up, shut down or self-sabotage to eliminate the cognitive dissonance going on inside your brain. It’s a self-preservation mechanism.
But it doesn’t have to be like that. The cool thing is now you know what is going on and why it’s been so hard to Uplevel in the past, which is the first step toward making a change! Self-awareness is the first ingredient we need to begin the Upleveling process.
In the coming weeks, I’m going to share a lot more about Upleveling, including my favorite tips and tricks for making Upleveling as natural and easy as possible — or in psychology jargon, how to Uplevel with less (or no!) cognitive dissonance.
Despite it being hard, we are pulled toward Upleveling (or growth, expansion or personal development, whatever you want to call it) because ultimately it serves us and feels great. It’s just the initial commitment that is so hard.
I think this quote sums all this up pretty nicely:
“You never change your life until you step out of your comfort zone; change begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
― Roy T. Bennett
And, I’m sure you’ve realized by now, after you fully embrace the Uplevel, it feels fan-freakin-tastic!
One last thing…
I have a bit of homework for you as we move into this month of Upleveling. Choose 1 area of your life that you want to focus on and Uplevel this month. Maybe it’s your business, your mindset, your health, or your relationship with your partner, most likely the first thing that popped into your mind is the one to go with!
After you do that, jump into the 3-Day Workweek Facebook Group, and share with me + the community what you’ve chosen to focus on so we can support you, and be sure to use #Uplevel.
Let’s Uplevel together!
links + resources mentioned during this episode
FIND SUPPORT inside 3-Day Workweek: Work Less, Make More, Live Better, my private community of over 3,200 + female entrepreneurs.
LISTEN to The 3-Day Workweek Podcast on iTunes for more tips, strategies, and resources on creating your own 3-Day Workweek!
GET STARTED by grabbing your FREE 3-Day Workweek Guide using the form below!
