Who is holding you to a higher standard?

Do you hold yourself to a higher standard, where you are constantly pursuing your personal best, taking action and extending beyond your personal comfort zone? Or do you let yourself get away with slacking off, taking the easy road and settling for second best?

Let’s admit it… we all slide into taking the easy road from time to time and that’s ok for a while. But, when it becomes our new normal, it will quickly lead to little more than mediocre results and ultimately a mediocre life!

I know that mediocre is not what most of us want out of life or from our careers.

Career opportunities and results that get us seen, heard and valued don’t fall out of the sky. They come to those who consistently show up, play a bigger game and strive for excellence.

This morning, in my quest to meet my standards for health and vitality, the gorgeous girl in the exercise DVD that I was jumping around too (yes I know exercise DVD’s are a little old school and daggy but much more appealing to me than heading out in the cold Melbourne winter mornings) pointed out that we always have a choice regarding to what level of energy we put into the exercise.

We can choose to “just get through it” or we can raise our standards and give it everything we’ve got in that moment and achieve results we have never achieved before.   

So this morning I allowed Erin from the SHRINK SESSIONS WORKOUT to hold me to a higher standard as I pushed myself a little harder, following her high energy moves mixed with a load of positive affirmations to keep me going. 

Gosh it felt good … once it was done!

Where in your work are you choosing just to “get through it?”

Our career success is a culmination of the decisions we make, the action we take and the standards we hold ourselves accountable to. If you are merely getting through your days at work, doing what you can do to fly under the radar, stay out of trouble and focusing on ‘just getting job done… then it is time to ask …. “Is this what I really want?”

In speaking with hundreds of smart professional women across the country, I know that many of you want so much more than that. You want to feel fulfilled, challenged, valued and recognised for the great work you do. You want to make a difference, have an impact and to be involved in work that is meaningful.

To achieve all of this, you need to be holding yourself to a higher standard.

Or have mentors, confidants or friends who will tell you when you are slacking off.

Recently, while on a trip to Bali, my girlfriends called me out on where I was playing small. They helped me realise that I had been operating within my comfort zone, which ultimately would not see me achieve the goals I have set for myself.

They called me out on my own s#*t and are now my guiding angels, keeping me accountable to the promises I made to myself to not just take the easy road but to do the things I had been avoiding and shying away from. Yes some of these actions scare the pants off me… but by staying focused on why I am doing it and the celebrations that will come on the other side, I know that I can stay on track.

While only you can really hold yourself to a higher standard, your support team is critical to cheer you along, hold you to account and to believe in you even when you don’t fully believe in yourself.

Ask yourself today:

• Am I proud of the standard of my work and my efforts?
• Am I letting myself down in any area – eg: managing the team, responding to requests, the quality of my reports, the persistence to always be improving results etc
• Am I constantly stretching and growing? When was the last time I did something that was unfamiliar?
• Am I taking the opportunities that come my way or am I sticking with what feels comfortable?
• Am I seeking feedback on my performance with an open mind towards performance improvement?
• Am I challenged, engaged, inspired by my work
• Who in my network will give me honest feedback and hold me to account if I was to let my standards slip?
• Who in my network will support me on my quest for continuous improvement? 
• How can I access more support to hold me accountable?

Set high standards, relentlessly pursue your goals and surround yourself with people who will lift you higher.