The Power of One More

10One More Higher Standard

Of all the judgments we make through life, none are more important than the estimate we place on ourselves according to our own internal standards.

—Denis Waitley

I'VE GOT A MIND‐BLOWING REVELATION FOR YOU. There's a very high probability you're not going to reach your goals.

But here is some great news. You're absolutely guaranteed to get your standards. Yep, that's the real truth.

Fortunately, goals and standards are two sides of the same coin. They are inextricably linked together. That means if you want the best possible chance of reaching your goals, you need to adjust your standards, and reaching your goals will become almost automatic. Here's how.

The Difference Between Goals and Standards

Many people I meet confuse goals and standards, often mistaking them as the same thing. They are not! Before you can achieve your goals, you must understand the role standards play and why they're so important.

Here's the key difference. Goals start out as thoughts. They are desirable outcomes that take root in your mind. Your brain either confirms these goals or they pass as fleeting thoughts. When you decide you want to achieve your goals, you create standards as a means of taking those thoughts and applying actions to them. Think of standards as the performance benchmarks you're willing to tolerate. Standards are the actions that propel you toward your goals. Goals effectively become byproducts of how you approach your standards. Goals without standards ...