We all want to become better, more successful people. And while we may change our habits, become more altruistic, and maybe even meditate on how we can improve ourselves, it’s only through action that we can make this possible.

And by taking this specific action, we are, essentially, leveling up. But what does it mean to level up?

Based on the teachings of author and organizational psychologist Benjamin Hardy, Stephen Timoney posted a TikTok explaining the theory that you create confidence through success, rather than the other way around. Once you find yourself succeeding in whatever aspect of life you desire, you decide if you want to go to the next level.

Essentially, leveling up in life means you are growing as a person, ditching the comfort of what you are used to and going bigger. Doing so allows you to become a better, more complete version of yourself.

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This may cause some temporary setbacks along the way, but it’s important to stay the course so you can have long-term happiness, not just brief spurts of it. Don’t get discouraged by a lapse in confidence; it just means you’re leveling up.

9 Signs You’re Leveling Up in Life

1. Your confidence drops temporarily.

The first sign you’re leveling up is that you’ll feel your confidence dropping.

In this stage, you’re trying new things and stepping outside of your comfort zone, but it will give you a strange feeling. That’s because you’re doing new, different things you’ve never done before.

People may also comment that you don’t seem like your usual self; however, despite a drop in confidence, this precedes a massive leap forward.

2. Everything seems to be going wrong.

Because you’re so used to the old systems you’ve put in place, when you let those go to move forward, you’ll find that things just aren’t going right for you.

Despite knowing what you’re capable of, you’ll feel like you just can’t achieve your goals or adapt to this new process of leveling up. It might take some time to adapt, but you must remind yourself that this is just temporary.

3. You begin to question yourself.

Because your confidence is dropping and nothing seems to be going your way, you’ll begin to second-guess everything you do. The world around you feels like it’s falling apart, but it’s only because you’re moving up to a higher and powerful level.

Remember that it’s natural to question your actions and experience a lack of clarity, and that you’ll feel discouraged.

4. You feel lonely, even though you’re surrounded by a support system.

At this stage in leveling up, you’ll be in a place where you don’t think anyone truly understands you. Even though you have a network of good friends or family to support you, you can’t help but feel totally alone.

It’s normal to think this as you’re going through this experience alone, but don’t hesitate to reach out for help and don’t isolate yourself. You need this support system now more than ever. Because when you become more successful, you’ll need to stay connected.

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5. You lose motivation.

As you try to become the best version of yourself and level up, it certainly won’t be easy. And as you go through these difficult periods, you’re bound to lose motivation. That means feeling disconnected from things you were once passionate about, and feeling apathetic and unable to focus.

But remind yourself that you do care deep down; stay the course and, eventually, that motivation will come right back to you.

6. You make mistakes you normally wouldn’t.

While the world around you seems to be caving in and your confidence is at an all-time low, you’ll start making mistakes that are uncharacteristic to who you are.

You’re under a lot of pressure and are in an unstable and uncomfortable frame of mind. It’s just like an athlete normally being able to score a goal in a game, but missing even the easiest of targets.

But don’t be alarmed if you’re making mistakes; it’s all part of the process.

7. You get distracted.

When you are struggling to try new things, step out of your comfort zone, and deal with the insurmountable pressure you face, it’s inevitable that you will get distracted.

You’ll find yourself wanting to go back to the old goals and systems you had in place, and feeling like a lesser version of yourself. It happens! But rather than going back to things that are easy, you must keep moving forward.

8. You give all or nothing.

At this stage, you’re almost at the finish line, and will either be 100% in or 0% in. There’s no middle ground where you can commit 50% or 80%, because if you do that, you simply won’t make it.

If you want to complete this evolution into your future self, you need to give 100% at all times. Be definitive about what you want and find consistency in your actions.

9. You’ll have an ‘aha’ moment.

Finally, after all your struggles and setbacks, you’ll have a moment where everything just clicks! This moment of growth and clarity will come quickly, where you’ve flowed towards success because you let go of your desire for those outdated results.

At the conclusion of the process, your world has opened up: you’ll no longer feel alone, you’ll be more confident, and you'll be surrounded by your support system. You’ll create and connect, experiencing success you’ve always dreamed of.

Everything will work out for you — all because you took the right steps to level up.

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Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who has written hundreds of articles about relationships, trending news and entertainment, numerology and astrology. Follow her on Twitter for more.