Last Sunday, I saw Beyonce in concert. She ziplined from one stage to another in a sequined navy-blue catsuit and sang her heart out within arm’s reach of me. Magic. But aside from being entranced by Queen Bey herself, I couldn’t help but notice the care put into the production as a whole. A truly quality performance. The fact that a small army had rallied around this woman to sell out and astonish the entire Air Canada Centre was mind-boggling impressive. So what does it take to reach legendary status? And how can we employ the same fierceness to get what we want? I’ve already put in an order for a cat suit of my own—let’s take a page from Beyonce.

1. Spot-On Timing

When Bey feels the audience needs a slow down, she croons and climbs on a grand piano. When it’s time to shake things, she busts out a boombastic number. Timing is everything. In life, if you don’t know how to space out the ballads from the beats, your best efforts could be passed over! Take this into account. Always read your audiences and conquer. Who run the world? Girls.

2. The Whole Package

As an artist, or as a leader of your own life, you can pick and choose what you want to focus on, and what you want to hand off to those who may know better. It’s all in the details, but those details make up a whole that one must keep in mind when making decisions. Have you seen “Life is But A Dream”, Beyonce documentary on HBO? If you haven’t, shame on you. If you have, you know that Beyonce is self-managed and you’ve seen the bits and pieces of the countless hours of meetings pouring over performance preparations. This lady could just go home after a dance recital, but no. She puts in the time and has a say in each aspect of the show. She’s no lighting technician, just as I am not a clothing designer when I pick out an interview outfit. But we’re both putting together a package. And the whole package matters! Even though the Beyonce machine requires a large team, Beyonce appears to be the gatekeeper and so must we with our own lives!

 3. Trusting the Vision

The only unique thing that you can bring to any situation is you. Your own perspective, your own thoughts, you. Beyonce seems to know this and that’s why she’s got a hand in as many aspects of the production as she does. She’s not worried about overstepping or being “wrong”, because she’s the one with The Vision. It’s her show. It’s your life. Be open to others but trust in yourself that you’ve got the goods. Sometimes you have to stick to your guns.

 4. Team Support

Aside from being born into a family circumstance, you get to choose your team. That is huge! These are the people who you will learn from, perhaps absorb their idiosyncrasies, make memories with, help and be helped by. Beyonce has an A+ team that helps her stay connected with her fans whilst remaining untouchable. It’s an oxymoron. But with a solid support system, anything is possible. It takes hundreds of talented people to finagle bodies and machinery into one masterpiece of a concert. Proof is in the pudding. Pay attention to who you surround yourself with.

5. Grace Under Pressure

Sticky situations. What’s a girl to do when a simple edge-of-stage-sit/fan-hand-touch is interrupted by a jumbo plush crown shaking in your face? Beyonce knows. At the concert, she put that crown on her head like it was planted in the crowd all along and keeps on singing! What about that time in Montreal when HER HAIR GOT CAUGHT IN A FAN AND SHE DID NOT MESS UP FOR A MILLISECOND??? Grace under pressure. Learn this, and you’re set for life.

Yes, this article is all one big metaphor that life is like a live concert. But that makes sense, right? Make or break moments, high energy, putting yourself out there, an audience, lessons to be learned, improvements to be made and bedazzled leotards?  Reach out and study the successes. Because sometimes it takes a crazy-in-love pop star to make you see that your two “worlds” aren’t so different after all.