11 Ways To Raise Your Standards In Life And Love
Worried that low standards might be dragging you down?
Your standards are what you allow to happen or continue in life. What you’ll accept, and what you won’t. Where you draw the line in the sand, in all areas of your life.
Your standards are how you allow other people to treat you. They are linked to your self-esteem and what you think you deserve.
It’s important to take a look at what you’re allowing in your life, and think about whether these things are positives, or whether they’re hindering you. Are you setting the bar too low in general?
It’s time to relinquish certain things or find a new way of approaching them. It’s time to rid your life of the toxic elements that are only doing you damage, and that you’d be better off without.
This isn’t an easy thing to do, but it can be life changing. Here are some tips on raising your standards up to where they deserve to be.
1. Think about the alternatives.
If you’re struggling to motivate yourself to raise your standards, then a good way to get into the right mindset is to think about what the alternative is.
If you don’t change the way you approach life, what toll could that take on your future?
Would it impact your health? Relationships? Financial security?
Will your dreams ever become a reality if you don’t make this change?
Think about that carefully – your answers could be all the motivation you need to change your life.
2. Be more assertive.
If you want to raise your standards, you have to learn to stand your ground and assert yourself.
If you have low standards, you probably don’t defend yourself. You probably just accept what you’re given and never complain about anything.
Raising your standards means learning when to speak up, defend your point of view, and be honest with other people about your wants and needs. It means knowing when to say that enough is enough.
If you’re being treated unfairly at work, speak up. If your partner isn’t pulling their weight in your relationship, be honest with them and make your needs clear.
If a friend of yours expects you to be there for them but never returns the favor, talk to them about it.
Let people know they can’t just walk all over you.
3. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep.
If you’re not feeling rested and your batteries aren’t fully charged, then you probably won’t be in the right mindset to make positive choices and keep your standards high.
You’ll accept less from yourself and expect less from other people, and you won’t be motivated to make healthy food choices or exercise consistently, for example.
Find the right sleep routine for you, and stick to it. Set yourself a strict bedtime, and make sure you wind down beforehand by putting all your screens away and doing things that calm your mind and get you ready for a restful night’s sleep.
4. Treat your body with respect.
Many of us let ourselves down when it comes to our standards in the way we treat our bodies.
If we don’t have high standards for our own bodies and minds, then we’re getting off to a terrible start. It’s a cliché, but your body really should be your temple.
Think about what’s going into your body, what you’re putting on your body, and what you’re doing with your body.
Raise your standards in terms of food. You should try to add as many natural, unprocessed foods to your diet as you think you can, and keep adding more gradually over time.
Remember, better quality food doesn’t have to be more expensive food. You just have to learn how to get creative in the kitchen, buy intelligently, and eat well on a budget.
Raise your standards in terms of drink. Don’t overwhelm your body with large quantities of alcohol. Enjoy good quality alcohol in moderation, if that’s what you want to do, but don’t overdo it.
Raise your standards in terms of cosmetics. Use products made of natural ingredients that nourish the biggest organ you have: your skin. Choose your products carefully, or even start making your own so you know exactly what you’re putting on your body.
Raise your standards in terms of exercise. Make sure you’re keeping your body strong and supple. You owe it to your future self. Make daily exercise non-negotiable rather than letting it sink to the bottom of your priority list. Set yourself ambitious but reasonable goals that you’ll know you’ll actually meet.
5. Spend on the things that really matter.
You don’t have to earn more to raise your spending standards. It’s all about changing the way you think about money. Take control of your spending, track your expenses, and make sure you’re saving for your future.
Think about the things you spend your money on – is that expensive car or piece of designer clothing really going to enrich your life? If it’s not, then it’s not worth it.
Use your money to live unforgettable experiences and make memories with the people you love.
Don’t spend your money on things just because society tells you that’s the done thing. When you do need to buy material things, think about quality and not quantity. Look after the things you buy and make them last.
6. Make positive choices every day.
Your standards won’t raise themselves. You need to make small changes and develop new, healthy habits every single day.
Find a way to stand up for yourself at work, limit your time on social media, make a healthy choice at lunch, or try out a new interest one evening. Make sure you’re conscious of all the small steps you’re taking, and give yourself credit for them.
7. Work on your self-control.
Self-control is a huge part of raising your standards, as it means you stop being a slave to your impulses.
Try to be more conscious of your actions and think about why you’re doing things. Do you really want/need to do something, or are you just giving into temptation? Are your actions benefiting you, or are they undermining you?
Monitor how much time you’re spending on social media or answering emails. Be aware of when you eat unhealthily, spend too much time worrying, buy things you don’t need, find excuses not to exercise, etc.
You’re always going to do these things to some degree, and you’re always going to have the urges to do them. And it’s okay to give into them sometimes! Indulging now and again is so important in life. It’s about finding a healthy balance.
The important thing is to be aware of them and decide when to give into them and when acting on them wouldn’t be right for you in the long run.
Making the right decision even when you’re really tempted to make the wrong one is a true sign of high standards.
Being aware of how you spend your time is a big part of this. Your time is valuable, so don’t waste it. Don’t fritter it away on things that aren’t making a positive difference, whether to you or to others.
8. Explore the power of affirmations.
Do you have a voice in your head that talks you down and means you end up settling for less than you should? If so, affirmations could help you change that mindset and silence that voice for good.
Every morning, look yourself in the eye and tell yourself that you can do anything you want to, that you’re worthy of love, or that you won’t settle for less than you deserve in your relationships.
Come up with your own affirmations that help you tackle the root of your low standards.
9. Surround yourself with positive influences.
Never underestimate the role the people you spend most of your time with play in your life.
Do those people have high standards for themselves? If they do, then that’ll rub off on you.
If they don’t and you find they weigh you down or hold you back, think carefully about whether they’re a bad influence on you. Perhaps you need to distance yourself from them if you want to raise your standards.
If you think you’re lacking in good influences, be open to new friendships with people who are in a similar frame of mind to you. You can also look for positive influences on TV, online, or on podcasts.
10. Treat other people with respect.
If you want to improve your standards in your relationships and are fed up with accepting less than you deserve, you need to give to others what you’d like to receive back from them.
Treat other people in your life – whether personal or professional – with the respect with which you’d like to be treated. Don’t treat anyone in a way you wouldn’t put up with.
What goes around comes around, and the people who are worthy of your time will treat you with the same respect as you treat them.
11. Give yourself credit when things are going well.
When you do start living up to your new standards, make sure you give yourself the credit you deserve.
Whatever your new goals are, be conscious of all the small steps you’re taking to make them a reality.
Don’t go through life focusing on the things you’re doing wrong, as you’ll only lose your momentum and convince yourself it’s not worth it, or that you’re incapable.
Focus on all the things you’re doing right. Try making a list of all the small things you achieve every week so you don’t lose sight of them. Use that to remind yourself of the progress you’re making and to motivate yourself to keep going and keep those standards high.
