Do you stick to your standards?

Standards are agreements that we make with ourselves to stay within some form of integrity with ourselves, our beliefs and our values. Think of it like your conscience mind, except that you can program this part of your mind. Your conscience mind automatically tells you right from wrong but YOU program your standards and set them however you want.

It is important to have standards because standards work as a safety net to catch us when we might have otherwise failed. For example, if we have standards which say that we will never find yourself in temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, then, when the temperature approaches 32 degrees, we will take preventative action to avoid the situation. That safety net catches us and tells us to get inside or put on a coat or take some other action which will prevent you from crossing that threshold of going against your standards.

Sometimes we aspire to certain standards but we have challenges maintaining them. For example, you are heading out for a night out with your friends when you decide not to drink more than three drinks. While you are out, you are having such a good time that the next thing you know, you are waking up hung over from drinking too much. And what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? In most cases people feel guilty for going against their standards and they find themselves thinking or saying "I should not have done that!"

Other examples of breaking your standards would be:

• Dating someone who you feel is not appropriate for you in order to avoid loneliness.
• Not doing your job as well as you feel you should even though it is within your potential to do so.

So, what is the downfall of breaking our own standards? When we consistently violate our standards by telling ourselves one thing and doing another, we send a signal to our subconscious mind that our words are meaningless. We reinforce a "loser" mentality in our minds. If we repeat this sort of cycle often enough, we end up hypnotizing ourselves into expecting to fail, and expecting to let ourselves down. And sadly, when we expect to fail, we usually do.

So, what's the answer? It is very simple.

Don't say one thing and do another. That is the most counterproductive thing that you can do. In fact most folks would agree that the number one thing that they look down upon is when someone says that they will do one thing yet they do something else. Be honest with yourself about where you are in life and the habits you have. Stop hiding your "bad" behavior and instead confront them. Stop making excuses and start believing in yourself and your ability to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and march to victory.

YOU can do it. YOU can live in integrity with yourself. IF you take the first step of self-honesty, self-improvement will be a logical next step.

So, admit where you are, remember your standards, and move your life into alignment with those standards.

Positive Change Hypnosis