What separates those stuck in mid-level jobs from those shattering their career's glass ceiling?

Discipline and drive. Your career won't advance by itself—you must grab the wheel.

The reality is many folks are locked in a vicious cycle of mediocrity. They get stuck in ruts, only to curse the heavens when overlooked for promotions or new opportunities. They assume career building was a lie.

It's not just about working hard; it's about working smart and continually improving your skills.

That's how you set yourself apart.

But how do you start?

If you want to be better than everyone else, you have to act differently than everyone else. That's career building.

I've seen too many people wallow in self-pity, complaining about how they're not getting ahead.

They act like the world owes them something. They expect to be given opportunities but don't want to work extra to develop the skills to get there.

Let's get this straight: nobody will hand you success on a silver platter.

You have to earn it. And that starts by not just talking the talk but walking the walk—initiating the drive to enhance your skills.

Results are the byproduct of specific actions.

For example, even with impeccable genes, an elite athlete only becomes elite by practicing, improving, and pushing themselves to the next level.

The Goldilocks Rule is the recipe to build your skills.

This rule insists that the best way to stay motivated is to take on challenges that are neither too easy nor too difficult.

In simple terms, you've got to push your boundaries—just enough to grow but not too much to fail miserably. This rule is essential for habit formation; it suggests that new habits should start easy to ensure adherence but must become progressively challenging to maintain engagement.

If you want to level up your career, you're not going to dive right into being an expert.

You will learn the foundations, practice, execute, and push yourself into the next stage. With each iteration of your skillset, you push yourself just beyond your comfort zone.

The sweet spot, or the "Goldilocks Zone," is where one can achieve a state of flow by balancing ease and challenge.

But, avoid The Peter Principle.

Before you progress, a word of caution—avoid The Peter Principle trap.

The principle states that people rise through the ranks until they're utterly out of their depth. It's how good employees become terrible managers. They excel at their job, get promoted, and suddenly find themselves in roles they're not equipped for.

Therefore, you need to evaluate your skills honestly, as should the company, before any promotion.

Suppose you still need to gain the skills to tackle a new role.

Develop a plan to acquire the skills to excel at your future responsibilities. Make this your near-term goal.

Skill development isn't a one-and-done thing; it's a perpetual cycle of self-improvement.

Step 1: Know your true north.

You can't efficiently navigate to your destination without a map.

Identify what's essential in your life and career. Otherwise, you'll be chasing fleeting bouts of desire that are meaningless. Look deep inside yourself. You can't say you want to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company and equally want a work/life balance.

You must understand your vision and values; otherwise, you'll be lost and aimless like a ship without a compass.

Step 2: Self-audit your skills.

Once you know where you're going, list the skills you need to get there and audit your current capabilities.

This is a brutally honest stage; no sugar-coating allowed. No coddling your reality. You're already out of the game if you can't self-audit.

At the top of a paper, write down your next goal.

For example, "Goal: Become as eight-figure sales manager leading a team of five Account Executives."

Under that goal, list all the skills you'll need to develop to become an average Sales Manager. I say average because nothing will teach you more than on the job, and that's when you'll become great.

If you don't know what skills you'll need, do some internet research or, even better, ask a manager who's in the role currently.

Career building is all about auditing where you're at against where you want to be and doing something about it.

Step 3: Choose skills just beyond your comfort zone.

Here's where the rubber meets the road.

Pick skills that are just beyond your reach but not so far as to be unrealistic. If you're in sales and you're a cold-calling ace, perhaps the next skill to conquer is conducting powerful discovery calls with seven-figure clients.

You'll need to learn how to present, create massive value, and deal with C-level executives.

Or, your career is in the supply chain, and you've been a buyer for many years.

Now, you want to develop long-term supplier contracts through a revised inventory planning strategy and become the Director of Supply Chain. You'll need to push yourself to learn statistics, inventory forecasting, modeling, leadership, and negotiations.

Pick one or two skills every quarter to improve on.

The best lives aren't lived in the comfort zone.

Stretch yourself.

If you only take one thing from this, let it be that results are not the byproduct of wishes but of specific, targeted actions.

Start doing more than surviving in your career (unless that's what you want); start improving. Today. Now. Identify the crucial skills you need to acquire to level up and go after them like your career depends on it—because it does.

There's no better time than now to start pushing your boundaries and breaking away from the status quo.