“Every next level of your life will demand a different you.”
― Leonardo Di Caprio
Many students when they head off to college are overwhelmed by the work level, especially at elite universities or leading STEM programs. Because these freshman were almost always near the top of their high school classes and academics came easy, suddenly being in an environment where everyone is smart is a challenge to their ego and they have to learn how to learn. This new level of academic rigor and competition pushes many out as they are unprepared emotionally for the struggle, and the discipline required to develop new study habits and the sheer effort needed to survive breaks many.
Graduate school is similar.
Every level in the corporate ladder from new hire off the college campus to the corner office requires an evolution of thought and action.
Each rank in the military or martial arts is more demanding than the previous one.
Leveling up your life is not just a reward for a job well done, but also a requires adopting new parts of yourself while removing ones that are insufficient for the new demands. The constant upgrade of self can be daunting, and is why many are content at lower levels of their potential.
Greatness always requires sacrifice, and the highest levels of achievement in any endeavor demand the largest sacrifices of self to the best self. Kill the old for the better and best you.