In this episode of The YLF Experience Podcast, I talk about the surprising benefit of setting standards for yourself and how it leads to something much deeper than just consistency or motivation. When you raise your standards, you start seeing value in yourself. You stop waiting for validation, stop questioning whether you’re capable, and start realizing that you already are.
We often think of standards as strict rules, but they’re really self-respect in action. Whether it’s your workout routine, your food choices, or your mindset, your standards are what you expect from yourself when no one is watching. The real shift happens when you realize that you already have standards in your life — you just might not have recognized them yet.
In fitness, this might look like committing to move your body daily or aiming to exceed your minimum goals. In life, it’s about trusting yourself to figure things out even when things get messy. Because the truth is, they will. And that’s not failure. That’s growth.
This episode also dives into how setting standards connects to self-trust. The more you follow through, the more confidence you build. The more confidence you build, the calmer and more deliberate your life becomes. You stop having that constant mental tug of war and start seeing yourself as capable, consistent, and enough.
You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to trust that you can figure it out. And when you do, you’ll realize that the standard you’ve been trying to reach has been inside you the whole time.
