Is Having High Standards a Bother or a Blessing?

If I’m brutally honest, I like that I have high standards for myself.  I attribute a lot of my success to those standards.  If I didn’t have these expectations, I may not have worked to achieve a lot of my goals. 

I’ve heard Tony Robbins say, “your life is a product of your standards,” and I tend to agree.  I don’t want to have standards that are too low that I don’t explore my own potential growth.  I like having standards that inspire and support my progress.

The problem arises when my standards are so high that they impede rather than champion my journey towards success.  They slow me down because I start fixating on getting it right rather than growing my business and helping my clients.  And nothing ever feels quite right.

What’s too high a standard?  I get to decide, and my new definition is anything that unnecessarily slows down my progress.  Anything that is driven by a negative feeling like fear, a need for certainty or to avoid potential judgement.  Anything that distracts me from my desire to serve.

The upside of letting go of my too-high standards has impacted so many parts of my life. 

• I consistently get so much done, and through that constant practice, my expertise and skills improve. 
• I learn to trust myself more because I follow my plan, and I don’t get waylaid by unrealistic expectations and drama.
• I have more downtime because the work is done, and I no longer am deliberating over the rightness of every aspect of my deliverables. 
• My clients get the help they want faster because I’m not second-guessing myself in the moment.
• My trajectory towards my goals speeds up, and I get there faster. I take action and learn and rinse and repeat.

So, check in on what standards you want to keep.  Which ones are holding you back? And what do you want to let go of? 

Start 2023 with standards that serve you.