bareleveling – v. trying to improve yourself without anyone else knowing about it, afraid that they’ll think it’s silly or grandiose or unnecessary, or that they’’ll end up calling too much attention to your efforts, transforming a casual tweak into a flashy rebranding campaign.
I certainly engage in bareleveling. I bet a lot of you, especially musicians or singers, barelevel all the time. You practice and work, but don’t want anyone to know. I do that, though I’ve gotten better at playing my songs and not being too worried about how other perceive me. Having a guitar in the lobby of Redgate HQ has helped.
However, I’ve stopped short of traveling with a guitar. I might if it’s my wife and I, but if I have to present or visit a customer, I don’t want to be carrying a guitar around. Mostly I don’t want anyone to make a production or ask me to play when I might be focused on something else.
Hopefully you do some bareleveling in your career as well, though be sure you are getting some feedback from someone that ensures you’re improving in the ways that matter to you.
From the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows