Just The Next Level, Please

The main concept I want to present you is the following: We just need enough information to get to the next level. We just need to do enough to get to the next level. That is the course of action that'll make us succeed most.

I will say something I repeat many times, however it is essential for us to understand the problem. We live in the information age. We have dozens of sources telling us fact A is right, and we have other dozens of sources telling us fact A is wrong, and B is right. We don't need more information. We need to filter the best information. You don't need 300 sources of information on a subject. You need one or two of quality, and that's it.

In the same way, in order to achieve the maximum potential for ourselves, we should only consume the information necessary to step to the next level, and do the enough to step to the next level.

Imagine I'm starting running. It's my first time. Should I worry about what professional athletes do in marathons, special training techniques for championships and such. I just need to know what do to in my first jog, how should I prepare for my first jog, what warm-up to do for my first jog.

Instead of taking action 25% towards the present, 25% towards the future, 25% towards an alternative future, and 25% towards god-knows-what, take action 100% focused on the present.

The kind of thought that we needed all information at once came from historical reasons. We had scarcity. Books could be burned down at any minute. If we lost knowledge of something we might need to try it for 5 years before we knew what mistakes to avoid and things to do. In the present, you only need to retain one piece of information. If you need another, it's readily available anywhere. If you need to know what to avoid, there's experiences and stories anywhere. You don't need to hold onto information hoping it will vanish. In the days of today, it's more likely an overflow of information occurs instead of a lack of it.

The same with action. Instead of trying to jump ahead to the next task, complete the current. But complete it real good. Do it to your maximum. And then step onto the next one. Don't be thinking about doing what comes after, and what comes after that, and what comes on top of that, and what stockpiles on top of it, and so on.

This is what many people call "being in the moment". In performance terms. If you are in the moment, you are using all available resources to complete the current problem, instead of trying to juggle 5 different things – and probably dropping all the balls.

So, if you are practicing a sport, completing a task, going through a process, only do what it takes to step to the next level. Do not think about 2 levels in advance, 3 levels in advance or further.

If you're an amateur runner, think about how you can become an intermediate runner. When you're an intermediate runner, think about how you can become a pro runner.

If you're starting a business, think about how you can put it together. Once you put it together, think about how you can make it successful. Once you make it successful, think about how you can make it even more successful.

Don't worry about the future. If you act on the present, the future will be good. If you work hard as an amateur, you will become a good intermediate. If you think about how you can be a good intermediate while you're still amateur, you won't be a good amateur nor an intermediate.

Things are not on different levels. An intermediate is not a different level for an amateur. It's just an amateur that's really good at being an amateur. Once you get really good, you become even more good and become a pro. There are no "levels". There is only what you are doing, and how good you're doing it.

Be a good amateur and you'll be an intermediate.

Be a really good amateur and you'll be a pro.

Focus on the current level and it will turn into the next level automatically. Never build upon a future level. Build upon your present level, and you'll reach that future level.