Improve Your Life by Raising Your Standards

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Wednesday September 17 2008

Welcome to the midweek point.

Summer has been truly switched back on here in the Midwest, and we’re basking once again in some very delicious weather.

My mail yesterday clearly showed that many are grateful that we’re going to be hosting another conference call next week for our friend Warren’s continuation of his pre-launch of The Inspired Science of Getting Rich. It’s going to a very worthwhile call to attend.

I hope you had an opportunity to listen in on the recording of Monday’s call. I’ll send a note to remind you again of next week’s event.

Akso, check out what our friends over at Daily Insight are up to this week.

Now, on with today’s offering. I believe you’ll like what Dennis has to share.

Improve Your Life By Raising Your Standards
by Dennis Harting

Many people desire a change in their lives but are unsure of where to start. Quite often they take actions that have a short-term impact while dwindling in the longer term. This leaves them unsatisfied with the course that their life is taking. However, there is an easy way to instantly set your life in a different direction. It is a change that filters into every area of an individual's life.

Raising your standards will instantly change your life. Most people have a degree of unhappiness about their lives because they have settled for less than their spirit truly desires. The dreams that we carried as children of a journey filled with wonder and awe are replaced by the “realities” of life. Society teaches us to “be realistic” or “get our heads out of the clouds”. Those lifelong dreams are often abandoned in favor of an approach that will allow us to get a good job and earn a decent living.

Our careers are not the only thing that suffers. We forgo the idea of Prince Charming while marrying the frog. Behavior that was once unacceptable is now the norm. All the high goals we set for ourselves are lowered to a more “manageable” level. With each passing year, we settle for less and less in our lives. Most of the stimulating aspirations that we held are wiped out. Life becomes a drag.

Unfortunately, our behavior follows the same course. Characteristics that were once completely foreign to us are a regular part of our day. We put activities off while succumbing to procrastination. Laziness takes a larger role in our lives affecting our physical as well as mental health. Minor habits such as tardiness grow to an uncontrollable level.

Deciding that you are no longer accepting of what is transpiring in your life is the first step in reversing this process. By taking a look at each area of unhappiness, one can immediately raise the level of behavior. This enables you to alter your actions to newer standards. It is a sharp contrast to what we were doing in the past. For years, we have been matching our standards to our actions. The worse the behavior was, the lower the standards became.

The key to making this effective is to realize that it is an internal job. Raising the standards for yourself at first is the easiest way to instigate change. After a time, it can be applied to others. We need to draw those “lines in the sand” especially if we are the type of person who allows others to walk all over us. Often our standards are tied to our self esteem. Because we tend to have a low value of ourselves, we fail to stand up for what we believe acceptable. Over the years, this process continues until we get to the point where we cannot take anymore.

You are in a wonderful place if you are presently dissatisfied. People typically will not do anything to change until they had enough pain. The fact that you want more than you are getting at this moment is an indicator that you are gaining the willingness to do something about it. By raising your standards, you are laying a path for upward advancement.

The more that you expect out of yourself and others, the more you will receive. Our successes are in direct correlation to the level that we seek to attain. The higher we aim in life, the higher that we get. When athletic teams strive to win the championship, they often make the playoffs, However, the teams that strive for a winning season typically finish at the bottom of the pack. In raising your standards, you are transformed into a new person. Your mindset immediately focuses on the new standard. Inevitably, the actions taken will follow where you are focused. This will result in a dramatic change of in your life.

Dennis Harting is the Head Coach at Your Rich Life. He is an acclaimed speaker, trainer, and best-selling author. His international best selling books include Your Easiest Million and The Ultimate Procrastination Handbook.