We all have a set of standards that we like to push ourselves towards. But for a lot of us, these standards aren’t necessarily high. They are more along the lines of easily achievable expectations. However, if you want to start achieving greater things, you need to start setting greater standards for yourself. And the first thing to realise when accepting the challenge of setting higher standards is you will need to learn to alter your mindset. Change your “I want to” to “I need to”.
The standards you set yourself are a reflection of you, your motives and how far you’re willing to go to get where you want.
For example, when setting new years resolutions, a lot of people stay safe with “I want to lead a healthier lifestyle” or “I want a new job with higher pay”. Anybody can write a list of empty promises to themselves about what they want to achieve. But very few actually take it to the next level and say what they need to do and how they are going to get there, to become the person they want to be.
Therefore, you need to look at your goals from a different angle. Instead set goals similar to, “I need to becoming an expert in my industry, in my own time, to move into an executive role in my company by the end of 2018”. Not only does this set you a strict deadline, it also details what your goal is and how to achieve it. Being specific and demanding when repeating your standards out loud makes you realise that there are no acceptable excuses anymore and this is something that must be done. Not something that won’t matter if you don’t achieve it for another year running.
By changing your wants into needs you’re telling your mind that there is no excuse to not meet these standards, as they are no longer just throw away goals. And while you’re telling yourself what goals you need to achieve, remind yourself of what you need to do to get there. This creates a mini plan of action in the back of your mind to work towards during daily life.
Look at it like you would your job. It’s easy to say you want to hit your monthly targets. It’s easy to set these empty promises to yourself. But unless you realise what you need to do and be willing to do your part, you won’t be hitting your targets and you’ll be pulling both yourself and the business down.
So if you want to make a real change to your life, a REAL change, you need to change. Change your expectations of yourself by setting higher standards for yourself. Know what you are capable of and expect more. You can’t expect great things without setting great expectations and knowing what you need to do to achieve it, with a can-do attitude.
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