Any time you sincerely want to make a change, the first thing you must do is to raise your standards… If you don’t set a baseline standard for what you’ll accept in life, you’ll find it’s easy to slip into behaviours and attitudes or a quality of life that’s far below what you deserve… Whatever happens, take responsibility… The only thing that’s keeping you from getting what you want is the story you keep telling yourself.
Have you wondered why some people are better achievers than the rest? There´re of course many reasons for these such as focusing on the present moment, asking empowering questions, state management and many more. Notwithstanding, one of the most significant of them all is that they have higher standards and refuse to dwell on what´s comfortable.
Moreover, they know that every goal requires something. It´s not enough just to write it down on your New Years´ Resolution and then forget about it a few days later. It requires action and a proper plan for a change in your behaviour. These requirements your goals demand are transformed into standards that must be met in order to maintain it realistic and in power. Your behaviours are built upon your expectations, and those are built upon your standards. Likewise, it´s significant to be aware that you don´t have too high expectations of yourself whilst you don´t meet the demand of work needed to make it reachable.
Your personality is the mirror to your standards
Your standards are always visible in the public and impact your self-image and the way others perceive you. These standards are visible through the body language you display, your habits, the quality of your work, the way you look, and your values. Therefore, by raising your standards, you are able to attract more interesting people in your life that can contribute to your success and self-fulfilment.
Furthermore, some people just have low standards because they have no vision regarding where they want to get. They claim that this is just who they are, and remain in a miserable comfort of mediocrity. Avoid this trap! Low standards are for the weak, and you can be much more than you think. You shape your own identity no matter the circumstances and past events.
Identifying your standards
So, what are your standards? Are you really satisfied with everything in your life? Or do you lack the motivation to pull your sh*t together? Could it be the way you look, your health and fitness? If you have high standards for your fitness or your nutritional habits it just feels wrong to eat unhealthy foods and skip workouts. If the standards are not met, the effect resulting into guilt and low confidence. Or do you have a weak grip on your finances? If you have a goal to save money, you´re ought to raise your standards and not waste money on unnecessary stuff. What about your emotional standards? If you´re lacking emotional management, always feeling insecure, falling into the trap of negativity and blame, then your emotional standards are not high enough.
Finally, how disciplined are you? Is your working place always a mess? Or are you always late, sleeping more or less than necessary? Do you maybe scroll through your facebook feed or take a nap when you should be fulfilling your “to do” list? All these cases are casual examples of the standards people respect in the every day life. Take a moment to reflect upon what your standards could be, and in which areas of your life you could rise them.
Steps to rising your standards
- Acknowledging a gap in some areas of your life .
- Asking the following questions:
Given the goals that I would like to achieve, are my current standards stopping me from achieving them?
Are my current standards preventing me from performing at my best in these areas of my life?
Where and what could I potentially do better?
What standards do I need to set in each area of my life in order to be the person I desire to be and achieve my goals?
What will I accept and refuse to accept of myself, of others, and of circumstances in each area of my life?
As a result of this reflection. You are ready for the most significant step:
3. Turning “shoulds” into “musts”.
How many times have you told yourself what you should do? For instance: I should be healthier, I should do more exercise, I should be more positive..These shoulds don´t have any strength into pushing you to take action because it doesn´t matter that much to you. “However, what happens when you decide something is an absolute “must?” What happens when you cut off any other possibility than you succeeding — when you decide that you are either going to find a way to make something happen or you’ll create the way yourself?When you raise your standards and turn “should” into “must,” you are making an inner shift to take control over the quality of your life.”
4. Finding leverage
You must find some leverage by asking what could happen if you will not meet your standards. It could be becoming overweight, or being homeless, losing all your friends, feeling overwhelmed all the time, lacking pleasure in life or simply remaining average and not fulfilling your full potential, resulting to the worst of all- regret. So now, take some time to link pain to the idea of not meeting your standards and get convinced that must do whatever it takes to meet your goals´s requirements.
Finally, it´s all about how you define yourself. Stop claiming that “this is just the way it is in my life,” “That´s who I am and I can´t change that” These excuses are destructive! You can shape and change your identity at any time and in any way you want. Identify your core beliefs and replace those with new ones. Above all, remember that you need to stay consistent with your plan, actions, and how you define yourself. Now, are you ready to rise your standards and make some constructive lasting change in the quality of your life?
Let your actions prove that you’re committed to living life on a new level. Get rid of the people and thoughts that confine you to an average existence. Raise your standards and aim for greatness.
