Standards Before Strategy

A Lesson from a Recent #LIVE365 Morning

This post comes straight from one of my recent #LIVE365 morning LIVES, broadcast from our cabin on a cold Maine morning — hot coffee, snow outside, and a simple but powerful reminder worth repeating:

Your life and business will never rise above your standards.

Not your strategy.
Not your tools.
Not your plans.

Your standards.

Most People Want a Better Strategy

But Strategy Won’t Fix Weak Standards

I see it all the time.

People want:

A better plan
A smarter tactic
Another course
Another tool

But here’s the truth:

Strategy doesn’t fix weak standards.

You can have the best plan in the world — the perfect sales process, fitness plan, leadership framework — and still fail if your standards are loose.

Strategy is what you do.
Standards are how you live.

And weak standards will sabotage even the strongest plans.

What Are Standards, Really?

Standards are the non-negotiables in your life.

Examples:

“I don’t tolerate toxic behavior.”
“I protect my time and energy.”
“I don’t eat like crap.”
“I prioritize rest.”
“I do the hard thing even when I don’t feel like it.”

Standards aren’t motivational quotes.
They’re decisions you live by — especially when it’s inconvenient.

Where Standards Usually Slip First

If things feel off, it’s usually because standards slipped quietly in one of these areas:

1. Time

Letting the day run you instead of running the day.
Reacting instead of deciding.

2. Communication

Tolerating unclear expectations.
Not speaking up when a boundary gets crossed.

3. Energy

Neglecting sleep, health, and recovery.
Running yourself into the ground and calling it “grind.”

4. Boundaries

Saying yes out of guilt.
Forgetting that “no” is a complete sentence.

5. Follow-Through

Breaking promises to yourself.
And if you can’t keep a promise to yourself — how can anyone trust you?

Here’s the Shift That Changes Everything

Stop asking:

“What do I need to do this week?”

Start asking:

“Who do I need to be this week?”

Your future doesn’t need a smarter version of you.
It needs a more consistent one.

Your future self is built by today’s standards.

My Life Didn’t Change When I Learned More

It Changed When I Expected More of Myself

I’ve read the books.
Been to the conferences.
Listened to the podcasts.

None of that changed my life.

What changed everything was when I raised the standard — and held the line.

When standards changed, everything followed:

My time
My leadership
My energy
My results

One Powerful Exercise (Do This This Week)

Keep it simple.

Choose ONE non-negotiable standard for the week
- Just one
- Something you will not break
Identify ONE behavior you will no longer tolerate from yourself
- “That’s not who I am anymore.”
- “I can’t do that and become who I want to be.”

That’s it.

This isn’t about perfection.
It’s about integrity with yourself.

When Standards Are Clear, Decisions Get Easy

I once had a client tell me:

“I didn’t want to go to the gym today — but then I realized this is just what I do now. This is who I am.”

That’s standards in action.

No debate.
No drama.
No motivation required.

Final Thought

If you want to operate at a higher level, stop chasing strategy and start reinforcing standards.

Make something non-negotiable this week.
Draw a line you refuse to cross.
And hold it — especially when it’s uncomfortable.

That’s how real change happens.

If this message hit home, it came straight from one of my daily #LIVE365 morning sessions, where we focus on leadership, discipline, and becoming the person your future requires.

See you on the next LIVE. Facebook. Instagram. YouTube. 8 AM EST. Daily