Level Up

Level Up Plot Summary

Introduction

We all have dreams and aspirations. We set goals, make plans, and genuinely intend to create positive changes in our lives. Yet so many of us find ourselves stuck in the same patterns, unable to bridge the gap between intention and action. Why is it that despite knowing exactly what we need to do to improve our relationships, health, finances, or careers, we still struggle to take those crucial first steps? The truth is that taking action isn't just about willpower or motivation. It's about understanding the hidden barriers that hold us back—our fears, our self-identity, our unclear purposes—and developing practical strategies to overcome them. When we learn to recognize these obstacles and implement simple, consistent micro-actions, we create momentum that transforms not just our circumstances but our very brains. This journey isn't about perfection or overnight success; it's about building sustainable habits that pull us toward our goals rather than pushing ourselves through sheer force of will. By understanding the science behind action and implementing the practical techniques shared in these pages, you'll discover how to move from knowing what to do to actually doing it—consistently and joyfully.

Chapter 1: Identify and Release Your Limiting Fears

Fear is perhaps the most powerful force preventing us from taking action toward our goals. But what many don't realize is that most fears aren't real—they're projections of future pain that exists only in our minds. Research shows that humans are born with only two innate fears: the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. Every other fear is learned through our environment, from watching and listening to those around us. Rob Dial discovered this truth through personal experience. As a child, he developed an intense fear of spiders after his sister vividly described scenes from the horror movie Arachnophobia—despite never having watched the film himself. This realization led him to question how many other fears he had absorbed from others throughout his life. Through extensive research and working with clients, he identified five core fears that prevent most people from taking action: fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of success, fear of being a fraud (imposter syndrome), and fear of abandonment. At their root, these fears all connect to a fundamental belief: "I am not enough, and because I am not enough, I will never be loved." Understanding these fears requires distinguishing between primal fears (related to physical pain or death) and intellectual fears (emotional pain). While our ancestors needed fear to survive physical threats, today our brains still create the same fear response for situations that pose no actual danger. When we fear rejection or failure, our bodies react as if facing a life-threatening situation, even though the outcome we fear is merely imagined. The key to overcoming these fears isn't to eliminate them but to recognize them for what they are—imagined futures that don't exist in the present moment. Cornell University research shows that 85 percent of what we worry about never happens, and of the 15 percent that does occur, 79 percent of people handle it better than expected. That means 97 percent of our worries are baseless, yet they prevent us from taking action. Instead of trying to fight fear, we can learn to use it as a compass. Fear indicates we've reached the edge of our comfort zone—exactly where growth happens. Every time you feel fear and your instinct is to step back, lean forward instead. This doesn't mean taking giant leaps, but rather pushing yourself slightly beyond your comfort zone each time. As one of Dial's mentors said, "The mind is like a plastic bag: once it expands, it will never return to its original size." The path to freedom lies on the other side of fear. By recognizing your fears as intellectual rather than primal, you can choose to act despite them. Ask yourself: what future pain is your fear trying to help you avoid? Then consider whether avoiding action now will actually create more pain in the future. Remember, the only way to truly avoid pain is to take action toward the future you want.

Chapter 2: Rewrite Your Story and Transform Your Identity

Your identity—who you believe yourself to be—is perhaps the second most powerful force determining whether you take action toward your goals. But what if that identity is just a character you've been playing? In the documentary "Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond," Jim Carrey describes how after playing comedian Andy Kaufman for months, he no longer knew who Jim Carrey was. This realization led to his spiritual awakening: the understanding that "Jim Carrey" was just one of the characters he was playing. This insight applies to all of us. We've each created a character over the years, and every morning we unconsciously decide to play that character. It becomes so comfortable that not being able to play it scares us. But this character—our identity—often keeps us stuck in patterns that prevent change and growth. If you believe you're lazy and give up easily, you'll act accordingly. If you believe you're someone who takes action and works toward goals without quitting, that's exactly what you'll do. Our identity is fueled by the story we tell ourselves—that voice constantly running in the background of our minds. Maxwell Maltz called this our imagination: "A human being always acts and feels and performs in accordance with what he imagines to be true about himself and his environment." This story distorts reality, filtering information to validate our existing beliefs. If all your relationships fail, you might believe you're someone who's bad at relationships, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. The challenge is that breaking free from this story can be terrifying because it's all we know. The conscious mind (representing only 5 percent of our thoughts) wants to improve, but the unconscious mind (95 percent) clings to our existing identity. This creates internal conflict that makes change difficult. For example, if your identity is shaped around being overweight because "it's in your genes," you'll struggle to take actions like exercising or eating healthy foods because you've already decided it's pointless. The good news is that you can change your identity by changing your actions. Dial wasn't a public speaker when he first gave a speech in a penguin costume at a sales job, but by taking the actions of a public speaker—giving speeches whenever possible—he gradually changed his results and, with them, his identity. You don't even have to believe it will work at first. One of Dial's clients didn't think she could ever make $100,000 in her coaching business, but she kept building momentum until one day she realized she had made nearly $170,000. A powerful exercise is to spend a day as the person you want to become. Imagine your ideal self who has everything you want in life—the relationships, money, body, career, and happiness. Describe their typical day in detail, then spend tomorrow being that person. Take the actions they would take. When faced with a situation, ask yourself what that person would do. Throughout the day, you'll notice moments when you slip back into your old self—that's your existing identity trying to lure you back to your comfort zone. Catch yourself and change your behavior. Remember, who you become is more important than what you need to do. By changing your identity—putting on a new mask—you open yourself to a world of possibilities where taking action becomes natural.

Chapter 3: Define Your Purpose and Set Clear Goals

When we were children, the question "What do you want for Christmas?" often received a vague answer: "It doesn't matter, get me whatever." Then Christmas morning would arrive, and disappointment would follow when the gifts didn't match unspoken expectations. Our goals work the same way. If we expect to get something in life but don't have a crystal-clear understanding of what that is, we're setting ourselves up for disappointment. Trying to achieve a goal without knowing exactly what you want is like trying to hit a target blindfolded. Many people can tell you what they don't want, but when asked about their goals, they offer vague answers like "I want to lose weight," "I want a good job," or "I want to make more money." These are ideas, not goals. If your goal is to lose weight and you lose one pound, technically you've achieved your goal—but has your life changed? Probably not. To set effective goals, you need to be specific. Instead of saying you want to lose weight, describe how much weight you want to lose, your desired body fat percentage, and your ideal physique. If you want to make more money, specify how much more and what you'll do with it. Success means different things to different people, so take the time to clarify what it means to you. Finding your purpose starts with understanding your ikigai—a Japanese concept meaning "reason for being." This comes from the convergence of four areas: what you love, what you're good at, what you can get paid to do, and what the world needs. Take time to brainstorm answers to these questions, looking for overlap. Add a fifth question: What are you so interested in learning or doing that you would do it for free? Your purpose is usually right under your nose, but you need to channel your inner child and dream without limitations. Once you've identified your purpose, you need to connect emotionally to your goals through what Dial calls "The Seven Layers of 'Why.'" When one of his coaching clients said he wanted to make more money, Dial kept asking "why" until they uncovered the real motivation: the client was in a custody battle and needed money to provide a safer home for his children. This deep emotional connection became a much more powerful driving force than simply wanting more money. This emotional connection creates drive rather than just motivation. If motivation is the spark that ignites the campfire, drive is the big, dry log that burns all night. You can see it in people's eyes and hear it in their voice—that feeling that they will stop at nothing to achieve their goal. It's like a mother searching for her missing child, pulled forward by something bigger than herself. Many people blame lack of time for not achieving their goals, but this is just an excuse. If something is important to you, you will find a way; if it's not important, you will find an excuse. Building the life you want needs to become a priority. You are not a victim of time; you're just not planning your time effectively. When you wake up every morning, focus on your purpose and let it pull you toward the future you want.

Chapter 4: Design Your Environment for Peak Performance

Imagine driving to visit a friend at night. You can't see your destination from where you start, nor can you see every turn along the way. Since it's dark, you can only see about a hundred feet ahead in your headlights. That's all you need to focus on—those hundred feet directly in front of you. Once you move past them, you focus on the next hundred feet. This is how you should approach your goals: focus only on what's directly ahead, getting 1% better today. This approach requires three components: direction, action, and time. Direction is knowing where you want to go—your destination. Action is stepping on the gas and moving forward, even if slowly. Time is understanding that change doesn't happen overnight but will work itself out if you're heading in the right direction and taking consistent action. A simple practice to help plot your route is to set aside ten minutes each week to ask yourself three questions: What do I need to start doing this week? What do I need to stop doing? What do I need to continue doing from last week? These don't have to be big things—they're the tiny adjustments that level you up when done consistently. Focus on those micro-actions you can take today, or even in the next thirty minutes. Life presents a fundamental choice: you can make things easy now and hard later, or hard now and easy later. When Dial was twenty-four and his first business failed, he was five months behind on his car payment and had to beg his bankers not to repossess his vehicle. That experience taught him that being broke is hard, and hard work is hard—but he'd much rather work hard than be broke. The choice is yours, but remember that when you choose to make things easy now and hard later, you're not only making it hard on yourself but potentially affecting others. One man who struggled with weight loss realized that the pain of discipline required to eat right and exercise was far less than the future pain of not being able to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding or play with his grandchildren. This shift in perspective motivated him to lose thirty-five pounds in six months. The hard now is never as bad as the hard later. Success requires sacrifice because there are trade-offs in life. When you say "yes" to something, you're also saying "no" to something else. However, when you've found your purpose and spend time working toward your goals, it's well worth the sacrifice when you can watch that lifelong dream come to fruition. Remember that the direction you're heading is more important than the speed you're going. If you point yourself in the right direction and begin moving, you will eventually reach your destination.

Chapter 5: Build Momentum Through Small Daily Actions

One of the most powerful concepts for taking action comes from understanding what it means to live life on your "front foot" versus your "back foot." When you're on your front foot, you have forward motion—you're being proactive and intentional. When you're on your back foot, you're retreating—being reactive and unintentional. The most successful people are proactive and have a plan for what they're going to do every day, while too many people wake up and spend their day in reaction mode. Building momentum starts the minute you wake up through small wins. First, never hit snooze when your alarm goes off. When you set your alarm the night before, you were fully conscious and had a plan. When the alarm goes off, it's easy for the brain to persuade you to hit snooze because you aren't thinking of the consequences. Instead, get out of bed immediately—that's your first win of the day. Second, make your bed. It takes two minutes but creates more momentum and is another small win. Third, complete a simple morning routine that fits your schedule and needs. This might include meditation, reading, exercise, journaling, or sitting in silence. At the end of your morning routine, take ten minutes to plan your day by making a short to-do list. Most people create extremely long lists that become overwhelming, but according to the Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule), 20 percent of what you do daily brings 80 percent of your results. Instead of a long list, identify the three most important needle-moving tasks. Write these on an index card (not your phone to avoid distraction), and make the number one item non-negotiable—do not go to bed until it's finished. Avoid looking at your phone for as long as possible in the morning. The creative part of your brain is most powerful then, but as soon as you look at your phone, that power begins to dwindle. These small wins are important because each one releases dopamine—the chemical of motivation—creating a cascade effect that builds momentum throughout your day. To maintain high energy levels for productivity, monitor four key factors: sleep, light, food, and water. Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep in a completely dark room. Get outside within the first hour of waking to expose yourself to sunlight, which helps you become more alert. Be intentional about the food you eat, planning meals around your working schedule. Drink water first thing in the morning to rehydrate after losing sixteen to thirty-two ounces overnight through breathing. Understanding your personal energy patterns is crucial. Set an alarm for every hour you're awake for a few days and track your energy levels on a scale of one to ten. You'll notice patterns that can help you schedule your most important tasks during high-energy periods. For Dial, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. is sacred time for focused work because that's when his energy is highest. Don't overlook the importance of having a specific time when you stop working. When Dial first started his business, he worked from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily without breaks. Everything changed when he read about scheduling free time. Taking breaks from work actually helps you work better, and you're more productive during the time before a break because of the pressure leading up to that cutoff time. Remember: you don't want to spend so much time trying to make a living that you forget to make a life.

Chapter 6: Master Focus and Deep Work

Focus is the secret to productivity. The more focused you are, the more brainpower you bring to each action; the less focused, the less brainpower you bring. With more focus, you get more output for each minute of input. Yet most people struggle to concentrate on the task at hand. Why would you want to bring anything less than 100 percent of your brainpower to what you do? Focus and concentration are skills you can improve. We've been training ourselves to be distracted for so long that the mental muscles required to focus might be weak, but with diligence, anyone can strengthen them. The key is becoming more intentional and proactive—starting each day leaning forward on your front foot instead of being on your back foot in reaction mode. One powerful tool for improving focus is the Pomodoro Technique. This simple time management method involves setting a timer and working for twenty-five minutes on one task and only that task. When the time is up, take a five-minute break, then do another twenty-five-minute session followed by another five-minute break. After four sessions, you've completed one hundred minutes of focused work. To implement this technique effectively, first remove all distractions. Put your phone away and use noise-canceling headphones if necessary. Before beginning, do a "brain dump" by writing down everything floating in your head so you won't worry about forgetting anything. During your five-minute breaks, don't look at your phone—instead, go outside and let your mind wander. This activates "hippocampal replay," where your brain processes what you've just learned about ten times faster than when you first completed the action. The Pomodoro Technique works because it requires single-tasking, not multitasking. Despite what many believe, multitasking is impossible. When we try to do multiple things at once, we're actually task-switching, which divides our attention and reduces efficiency. Research shows that multitasking can drop efficiency by as much as 40 percent and it takes an average of fifteen minutes to reorient to a primary task after a distraction. Visual focus can enhance your mental focus. By concentrating on a small visual field directly in front of you for about two minutes, you activate neurons that trigger epinephrine and acetylcholine, which are associated with alertness and focus. Try narrowing your gaze as if looking through a toilet paper roll, blinking as little as possible. After forty-five minutes of intense visual focus, relax your eyes by widening your gaze for five minutes. Lighting, especially blue light, significantly impacts focus. Research from Brigham and Women's Hospital found that exposure to blue light improves alertness, performance, memory, cognitive function, and mood. When working inside, make your workspace as bright as possible and position overhead lighting to stimulate the photoreceptors in your retina that regulate alertness. Sound can either enhance or limit focus depending on your preferences. Some people work better with background noise, while others need quiet. Noise-canceling headphones can be invaluable. Dial listens to the same instrumental song on repeat when working, training his brain through classical conditioning to associate that music with focus time. Having an accountability partner can dramatically improve your ability to take action. Pearson's Law states that when performance is measured, it improves; when performance is measured and reported, the rate of improvement accelerates. One of Dial's clients lost thirty-five pounds in four months by weighing himself daily and sending screenshots of the scale to Dial each week. When motivation is lacking, movement can jumpstart your focus. Get up, move your body, and do something to increase your heart rate. Research shows that exercise improves working memory, prioritizing, and sustaining attention for two to three hours afterward. For an even more powerful reset, try cold water immersion. Research showed that one hour in cold water increased dopamine concentration by 250 percent, boosting motivation significantly.

Chapter 7: Create Lasting Change Through Neural Rewiring

London taxicab drivers must memorize twenty-five thousand crisscrossing streets to pass "The Knowledge" test. Neuroscientists studied seventy-nine aspiring drivers for four years and found that those who passed the test had larger hippocampi—the part of the brain dealing with memory for navigation—than those who failed. This demonstrates neuroplasticity: the brain's ability to form and reorganize synaptic connections in response to learning or experience. Neuroplasticity takes three forms. Passive plasticity occurs naturally, especially in children whose brains are designed to grow and change. Maladaptive plasticity happens through traumatic events, like how PTSD rewires the brain to create red flags for potential danger. Adaptive plasticity is what we can influence through repeated action, though the brain will resist change because it requires more energy. The brain undergoes a three-step process to support learning and create new pathways. First comes chemical change, where the brain increases chemicals sent to neurons, improving short-term memory. This is why you might learn a simple song on the piano in one day but struggle to remember it the next. Second is structural change, which occurs through repetition over time, creating brand-new connections between neurons. Finally, functional change happens when entire networks of brain activity shift, making actions easier and requiring less effort—this is when you can play that piano piece without thinking about it. To change your brain, you need to change your actions and repeat them consistently. New learning creates new neural pathways, but the brain always tries to move back to homeostasis. If 47 percent of your daily actions are habitual—the same as yesterday—your brain won't change significantly. You must deliberately practice challenging activities outside your comfort zone. Struggle is essential to this process. When you experience something difficult and get agitated, that's a good sign—your brain is releasing acetylcholine and epinephrine, chemicals essential for change. Acetylcholine acts like a spotlight helping you focus, while epinephrine (adrenaline) creates alertness. Most people get so frustrated they give up, not realizing they're stopping at the crucial moment when the brain is about to change. The greater the struggle, the greater the transformation, so lean into it with the mantra: "If it doesn't challenge me, it doesn't change me." Sleep is when the real change occurs. During the day, epinephrine and acetylcholine mark the neurons that need to be changed, but the actual reorganization happens during sleep. The hippocampus takes what you learn throughout the day, stores it, and rebroadcasts those memories while you sleep to rewire the brain—a process called memory consolidation. What's more important for success: talent or skill? While some people have more natural talent, true success comes from developing skills through practice. As Conor McGregor said, "There's no talent here, this is hard work. This is an obsession. Talent does not exist; we are all equals as human beings. You could be anyone if you put in the time." The beautiful thing about being human is that we can develop any skill we want with enough time and effort. Through neuroplasticity, you can learn almost anything and make it become a reflexive habit that you do automatically.

Summary

Throughout these pages, we've explored the journey from intention to action—from knowing what to do to actually doing it consistently. We've seen how fear, identity, and unclear purpose can hold us back, and how designing our environment, building momentum through small wins, mastering focus, and rewiring our brains can propel us forward. As Rob Dial emphasizes, "Success is not one big event that changes your life. It's the accumulation of many small actions—what I call micro-actions—that you take every single day." The path forward is clear: identify one area where you've been hesitating to take action, apply the six-step focused work protocol (Focus, Work, Persist, Rest, Reward, Repeat), and commit to just one small micro-action today. Remember that you are the CEO of your own life, responsible for your results. Every action you take is a vote for the person you wish to become. Your future isn't determined by grand gestures but by the tiny, consistent choices you make each day. The time to begin is now—not when conditions are perfect, not when you feel completely ready, but right now, with whatever resources and courage you currently possess.

About Author

Loading...

Rob Dial

Read more