Blueprint >> States vs. Stages

Disclaimer: This document is in raw form as I process and distill 4 years-worth of my personal development notes. Expect some typos and cryptic language for now. I will be updating frequently and polishing up.

Prescription: Understand states vs. stages.
Related Concepts: Be Patient, Mastery

What is States vs. Stages?

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Why is it Important?

Big, stable success is built by continually investing in yourself. You are your own greatest asset and source of success.

States vs. Stages Videos

[coming soon...]

States vs. Stages: Key Points

In your personal growth, you will experience elevated state experiences and stages of growth. For example:

• State: a profound insight while reading a book (this "high" won't last)
• Stage: being a world-class concert pianist (this "high" is stable)

State experiences are temporary and won't last. Don't beat yourself up for that. Stages are a permanent evolution of your identity, which create a consistently different experience of life. You can jump to a high state at any time, but you can't jump to a higher stage. A stage must be built up to.

Stage-level changes take time, but they are the ones you should be after. A stage is a new level of being. A stage is the difference between struggling to stay on a diet and naturally eating healthy foods. Or, it's the difference between starting one successful business and having the know-how for starting a business in any field. Or, it's the difference between hooking up with a random girl at the club and having the skills to attract a new girl every night.

There is nothing wrong with peak state experiences. They are great, but personal development really happens on the stage level. The question you should be asking yourself is, How do I turn this great state experience into a stage experience? This will take hard work, consistency, and emotional labor, but it's worth doing.

References

1. The Integral Vision, Ken Wilber