As a health professional, our value is in giving correct advice to allow people to progress in a number of areas health, whether it be loosing weight or overcoming back pain. Today’s blog is about one common trait we all have that allows us to progress in nearly every aspect of our lives; and that thing is our standards.

Your standards are your threshold. Your threshold is like a reference point, a psychological line in the sand where you say to yourself and believe 100% that you will not allow yourself to drop below your standards.

So I want to offer an exercise that might just change your life! That sounds big I know, but I truly believe that if you hold yourself to a higher standard, then nothing will prevent you from slipping below whatever that standard happens to be.

So here is the Task.

Step 1

Business, relationships, kindness or health; chose just one thing, regardless of how small and how insignificant it might be and create a new and higher standard than you are currently living. I have chosen to improve the quality of food I eat by choosing to only eat only 100% organic pasture raised meat. While I am quite diligent in eating a good diet, this is a new and higher standard than I currently live by.

Step 2

Saying your going to do something and actually doing it are very different things. What separates intention and action are habits and rituals. I have worked with a number of Tradies who have consistent back pain and encouraged them to incorporate stretching and mobility exercises into their day. Of an evening most of they guys will wind down from the day by stretching on the living room floor. The mentality has gone from “I gotta do my stretches” to “At night I stretch. Its just what I do”. Now that behavior has become habitual, huge improvements have been made.

As a final note, do not choose something out of your control. You can control how much effort you put into an exam for example, but not always the outcome. Chose something that is achievable and attainable. I observe on a regular basis people who start by changing just one little thing, form a snowball and progress to live an empowered and fulfilling life. Check out this video and ask yourself; did this guy transform himself or did he just raise his standards?

So what will your new standard be?