Raising Your Personal Standards

In Season 2 of Radical Emergence, participants explore a deep, thought-provoking topic- Personal Needs.

They learn how to identify your Personal Needs and how to handle them by creating Boundaries and upgrading your Personal Standards.

Together, these 3 concepts make-up a vital ROOT of your Personal Foundation.

In this TRG Blog article, you're in for a FREE treat!

I'm sharing a Lesson and Exercise on Personal Standards, straight from Radical Emergence.

If you're OPEN to a fresh start and READY for a personal ROOT BOOSTER, you're going to love this peek inside the value provided in the Radical Emergence!

ENJOY!

Let's start with...

What are Personal Standards?

Personal Standards are the guiding principles that define the person you aspire to be.

They reflect how you aspire to show up in the world, influencing your interactions, behaviors, decisions and choices.

Just as your Company may have a set of Core Values, you have Personal Standards.

Another distinction...

• Boundaries are the behaviors you hold others accountable to, to protect your well-being.
• Personal Standards are the behaviors you hold yourself accountable to, to become a better person.

Your Personal Standards answer the question, "Who am I?" and "Who do I want to become?"

You already have these Standards for yourself, whether you realize it or not.

In fact, most people walk around unconscious to the answers to those two questions above and still seem to enjoy life.

You can certainly go on living up to your current Personal Standards and do nothing different. That may seem like the easiest option.

But if you want more for yourself and you want to satisfy your unmet needs, identifying and raising your Standards is the answer.

When you raise or upgrade your Personal Standards:

• You build self-trust.
  • Consistently meeting your own Standards strengthens your belief in your ability to follow through.
• You boost your energy and confidence.
  • Meeting your Standards creates a sense of accomplishment and self-respect.
• You enhance your relationships.
  • By modeling the behavior you value, you attract and nurture more aligned connections.
• You expand your potential.
  • As your Standards rise, so does your energy level and your capacity to live a more fulfilling life!

How can raising your Personal Standards help get your Needs met?

When you raise your Personal Standards, you elevate your expectations of self and intentionally design your daily actions to support your MAXIMUM well-being and address/handle your unmet needs.

Here's how...

Clarity and Consistency

• Raising your Standards means you clarify what you expect from yourself in various aspects of life. You can then align this clarity with your daily actions, to strategically get your Needs met.
  • For example:
    • If your Personal Need is emotional safety, raising your Standard to always communicate honestly and directly helps create safer, more open interactions.
    • If your Personal Need is peace, holding yourself to a standard of managing your time effectively minimizes chaos and reduces stress.
• By raising your Personal Standards, you create circumstances that consistently fulfill your needs, ultimately to the point of vanishing.

Boundary Reinforcement

• Personal Standards and Boundaries work hand in hand. When your Standards are high, they naturally uphold your Boundaries.
  • For instance:
    • If you’ve set a Boundary to disconnect from work emails after 6pm, raising your Standard to commit to quality family or self-care time in the evenings ensures this Boundary is respected.
• Elevated Standards help you take your Boundaries seriously, which not only safeguards your time, energy and emotional space, but also helps satisfy your Needs, to the point of vanishing.

Eliminating Energy Drains

• Higher standards eliminate behaviors that drain your energy or detract from your well-being, freeing up energy to devote to meeting your needs.
  • For example:
    • If your Personal Need is stability, and you raise your standard to be punctual and prepared, you reduce unnecessary stress and create a stable environment.
    • If your need is emotional balance, a standard of avoiding gossip or negativity protects your energy and allows you to focus on what matters most, to you.
• Raising your Personal Standards inspires you to engage in productive behaviors and healthier habits that align getting your Personal Needs met. This alignment leads to a life that feels deeply satisfying, because your Needs are fully met and you want for nothing.

How do you Identify and Raise Personal Standards?

• Start by reflecting on your current standards.
  • Ask yourself:
    • What behaviors do I most admire in others?
    • What behaviors do I currently hold myself to?
    • What behaviors align with the person I want to become?
    • Where am I falling short, in relation to my current standards?
  • This reflection will give you a baseline for understanding where you are now and where you want to go.
• Define your aspirational standards, writing statements that begin with “I am someone who _______..."
  • For example:
    • “I am someone who always speaks honestly, even when it’s uncomfortable.”
    • “I am someone who shows up on time to every appointment, out of respect for others and myself.”
    • “I am someone who invests time in self-care daily to sustain my energy and well-being.”
    • “I am someone who finishes what I start, exceeding expectations every time.”
  • Consider who you are and who you want to be in all area of your life.
• Choose one upgraded Personal Standard to focus on until it becomes a habit.
  • Your standards should stretch you, but remain attainable.
  • Set realistic and achievable expectations for yourself.
  • Trying to change too much at once can lead to frustration or burnout.
• Cross-check your Standards against your Values.
  • Ensure your Standards align with your Personal Values and the Vision for life.
  • If a Standard feels like a "should" rather than a true aspiration, reconsider its relevance.
• Monitor and adjust over time, as needed.
  • As you grow, your standards will evolve.
  • Periodically review and upgrade your Personal Standards to reflect your continued personal development.
  • This step is one of those opportunities to "check yourself, before you wreck yourself."

Here are some examples of Personal Standards to get your wheels turning.

Basic Standards:

• I am someone who doesn’t steal.
• I am someone who always tells the truth.

Intermediate Standards:

• I am someone who prioritizes self-care and makes time for rest.
• I am someone who treats others with respect and regard, even in conflict.

Advanced Standards:

• I am someone who speaks objectively, even in high-pressure situations.
• I am someone who consistently inspires others by leading by example.

As you engage in this Exercise, consider:

• How high are my Personal Standards?
• How high do my Personal Standards need to be, in order to live the life I want?
• How can I upgrade my Personal Standards to satisfy my #1 Need, to the point of vanishing?

Take your time and be strategic as you create your Personal Standards.

Note and notice which Standards excite and inspire you! That's a good sign.

Then, let's work together to explore your Needs, so you're not only taking actions daily to be a better version of yourself, you're taking actions daily to get your Needs met, once and for all!