How many times have you told yourself what you “should” do?
- I should lose weight.
- I should be more confident.
- I should earn more money.
- I should have a more passionate relationship.
People have an endless list of things they believe they should do or should follow through on. And these “shoulds” carry about the same weight as a New Year’s resolution – that is, if it happens, then that’s exciting. But if not, it won’t be too disappointing because you kind of knew it wasn’t really going to happen anyway. You didn’t raise your standards enough to make it happen.
“The only thing that changes our life long-term is when we raise our standards.” – Tony Robbins
But what happens when you decide something is an absolute “must”? What happens when you cut off any other possibility than you succeeding – when you upgrade your standards and decide that you will never settle for less?
When you raise the standard for your life and turn “shoulds” into “musts,” you are making an inner shift to take control over the quality of your life. Only when you decide to accept nothing less than your ultimate goals will you achieve them.
Determine where to raise the standard
Most of us have numerous areas of life where we could raise our standards. Three of the most common are creating healthy relationships, finding a fulfilling career path and improving our health.
Relationships
Your relationship is a direct reflection of your standards. Some people are in a relationship but they aren’t happy – because their standard is that they must be in any relationship, not that they must be in a relationship with passion and excitement that cultivates pure joy and love. Others may not be in a relationship because their standard is to never get hurt.
Career
Tony tells us that, “Your income right now is a result of your standards, it is not the industry, it is not the economy.” If you are not making the money you desire, you haven’t reached the position you want or you are stuck in an unfulfilling career, it’s because your standard is to accept any offer that comes your way. Raise your standards, and you’ll raise your worth.
