"Raise your standards"

"Any time you sincerely want to make a change, the first thing you must do is to raise your standards. When people ask me what really changed my life eight years ago, I tell them that absolutely the most important thing was changing what I demanded of myself. I wrote down all the things I would no longer accept in my life, all the things I would no longer tolerate, and all the things that I aspired to becoming."Think of the far-reaching consequences set in motion by men and women who raised their standards and acted in accordance with them, deciding they would tolerate no less.
This leads to the following list of day to day standards that really do matter….
· I will get 8hrs of sleep every night
· I will eat real foods away from training and only use sports nutrition for the long stuff
· I will get 2 strength sessions completed each week
· I will do yoga 3x per week
· I will do 1-3hrs of aerobic training each day
· I will do one big day each week.

While standards should be set based upon a 100% compliance intent, it is important for the sake of your own integrity that acceptable exceptions be ‘put on the table’ from the outset. Often these exceptions can be headed off at the pass before they become an issue. Either way, the important people in your life (your partner, your boss, your kids, your coach ;-) need to know what they can expect from you and more importantly, you need to know what you can expect from yourself.