you² Checkup: What’s the Status of Your Quantum Leap

Level 1: Doubting

When you’re in Level 1 you cling to your current situation and stay in your comfort zone.

You persuade yourself that your quantum leap needs additional preparation. So you bog down in planning and “getting ready.” Maybe you decide to delay your quantum leap, hoping for a more favorable time. You might even decide to abandon your big ambition.

Here in the Doubting mode you’re preoccupied with the negatives. Your thoughts and self-talk focus on how hard it will be, all the reasons why you can’t make it work, and why you should stick with the status quo. You give more weight to constraints than to your possibilities for success. Concerns about potential failure or embarrassment deenergize you and cause procrastination.

It’s easy for Level 1 thinking to make you give up before even starting. You also can relapse into Level 1 when you hit a roadblock, face criticism from others, or stop focusing on your goal.

Level 2: Dabbling

At Level 2 you tell yourself that you’re going for a quantum leap. But actually you’re just testing the water. You’re not sufficiently engaged. A lack of confidence and aversion to risk keep you from making a full-bore commitment to a breakthrough goal.

You’re constantly wrestling with limiting beliefs. You think in terms of “What will the world allow me to achieve?” instead of “What am I determined to achieve?” You may decide to lower your ambitions—e.g., you settle for a so-called “realistic” goal. Or your self-doubt produces only halfhearted effort toward a quantum leap.

Maybe you’re “trying harder.” But at Level 2 you’re playing it safe and mostly sticking with your established strategies and tactics. While that may produce slightly better results, it’s just giving a little more effort at the same old game.

Rarely does Dabbling deliver breakthrough performance. Quantum leaps require a you² mindset and actions aimed toward exponentially better outcomes. This almost always calls for “trying differently.”

Level 3: Driving

If you’re at Level 3, you’re going for it. You’ve committed to your big ambition and taken decisive action. You’re Driving into new territory in pursuit of your breakthrough goal, changing how you do things and taking different risks.

You’re exploring possibilities. You’re experimenting with new strategies and tactics. This produces a fresh set of problems and some inevitable mistakes as you adventure into the unknown. But resistance is less of a problem now. You’re goal-focused, action oriented, and picking up momentum.

At this stage you’re thinking more optimistically. Your self-talk has an uplifting ring to it. You’re more hopeful.

The major challenge at Level 3 is keeping the faith as you experience setbacks. You can expect criticism and doubts, from both yourself and others. Your confidence will get shaky at times, but you’re actually making progress.

Level 4: Destined

At Level 4 you’re giving the quantum leap your A-game. You feel a strong sense of agency. You’re bold, determined, and “trying differently” in relentless pursuit of your quantum leap goal.

Problems flare up occasionally and you still have to maneuver around constraints. But you’re maintaining a positive mindset. You trust in your initiative, ingenuity, and resourcefulness. You find creative solutions when they’re necessary.

Be open to the unexpected! Level 4 may surprise you by presenting possibilities that are even better than your current quantum leap goal. Here in the Destined zone your thinking is more expansive. You have a better eye for opportunity. Lucky breaks, coincidences, and serendipities may seem to come out of nowhere.

At Level 4 you’re on a roll, moving in a higher orbit of performance, and life may have even bigger plans for you if you’re willing to accept the invitation.