Fit for Life: Your Standards = Your Success

Saturday, December 02, 2023

Matt Espeut, Health & Lifestyle Contributor

 

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To reach the goals and success we envision for ourselves, we must set higher standards.

Across the country, we are lowering our standards to accommodate the weak, eroding our society.

From military standards to hiring people, what's acceptable to wear in public has become a downward spiral.

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My mother said to me the other day after I criticized a low-performing family member that it's tough for people to live up to my standards, and my comeback was, I know, tough for me, too.

 

I set my standards based on people doing better than me and try to live up to them, not by comparing myself to someone else but by setting the bar of success.

 

Comparison syndrome is the thief of joy, and we can't compare ourselves to others, but we can emulate the traits and characteristics that brought success to others and use them to set our own goals.

 

Life becomes challenging when you set high standards, but it makes you show up differently than if you set low standards for yourself. When your standards are expected, life gets easy, and you can coast on a lower level and show up average and mediocre and still feel like you are succeeding.

 

I know I do better than some people, but I don't set my standards by that metric; I put them to the people doing better than me and attempt to live up to them.

 

Let me give you a few examples, and you will see what I mean.

 

•If you are reading this article, you probably own a digital device, so you are doing better than someone who can't afford one. Does that standard mean you are successful and content?

•If you have a roof over your head, you are doing better than someone else.

•If you are 20 lbs overweight, you are in better shape than someone 50 lbs overweight.

•If you drive a shit box car with no muffler, you are still doing better than someone without a car.

•If you only get 1 meal a day, you are still doing better than someone who doesn't eat today.

 

These are extreme examples, but living up to them is easy when you set low standards. It's easy to live down to someone with common standards; however, easy will get you nowhere but broke, fat, and sick.

 

Living a barely average life isn't for me, and it shouldn't be for you either because there is so much more we can do for ourselves and others. Doing so requires setting high standards and goals and then reverse engineering how we reach them.

 

At 55 years old, I don’t want to “look good for my age.”

Have you looked around and seen what the majority of people over 50 look like?

I don’t want to be lumped into that category. I want to stay jacked and have abs as long as I can.

I want to be in a locker room with 20-30-somethings and still look better than most guys half my age.

 

When I train with my high school football team, I kick most of their asses, and I'm not that fast. It's because I set my standards high to be an elite coach, show them the benefits of hard work and discipline, and not just sit on the sidelines with a fat gut and whistle and bark orders at them. I lead by example.

 

Regarding my business, I set my standards to world-class, and my team knows what that means.

World-class is a step above excellent.

 

There are a lot of great gyms out there, but more is needed.

Our members deserve a world-class experience EVERY TIME THEY COME IN TO THE FACILITY.

 

Do people always notice that the floor is spotless, the dumbbells are all facing the same way, or the work we put in behind the scenes to create a world-class experience? Maybe not, but they would probably notice if all those things weren't up to our standards daily.

 

We are in the top 10 percent in the franchise based on results, revenue, member count, and how we operate our business, but that's not good enough for us. We emulate the Fit Body that has more members, makes more money, and changes people's lives.

 

Our goal is to be in the top 3% of the franchise, and we strive every day to get there.

We could hit cruise control where we are and survive just fine, but we all want to thrive and grow.

 

When my team is present at events and on Zoom trainings, they don't just blend in and sit quietly; they stand out. They participate, ask questions, and share what is working for us. Providence Fit Body Boot Camp is well known in a brand of over 300 locations, and we are still far from being done!!

 

Anything in life is attainable for everyone if we just set higher standards for ourselves and work each day to live up to them. Here are some examples of how you can live to a higher standard.

 

Set non-negotiable rules for yourself and ruthlessly uphold and protect those rules.

 

Want to be fit and healthy?

 

Set your standards higher than the average person, create a roadmap, and keep the habits and actions that will get you there. Habits like getting a good night's sleep, drinking enough water throughout the day, having protein-rich meals available, and getting to the gym 5x a week.

 

Fit people are not lucky. They incorporate these habits into their lifestyle and repeat the process day in and day out. No excuses, no detours, and high standards are what will keep you on track to become the best version of yourself.

 

Want more money?

 

Rich people also have standards they live by each day. Although I am not one of them, I would be further away if I had low standards. These people have different standards than someone making barely enough to "get by". They don't just show up, punch a clock, and count down the minutes until lunchtime or the end of the day, they go above and beyond doing the bare minimum, they exceed expectations, they take risks, and they avoid being average.

 

Surround yourself with better and more successful people than you currently are.

 

•I train with elite military guys because of their standards. From Navy Seals to Marine special forces, I surround myself with some of the baddest mo fo’s in the world, so I can set higher standards for myself to live up to.

•I get coached by successful entrepreneurs who make millions because of their standards. I don't seek advice from average business owners or state-run business programs that hire someone who taught college business courses but never ran a business. How will that help set high standards? It won't.

•I listen to people who are smarter than me and try to live up to those standards. If I don't become as smart as them, I'm still learning and growing, so either way, it's a step in the right direction.

 

Be grateful but never satisfied.

 

I am grateful for where I am today and my life, but I am still going, as my standards won't allow me to stop and become average or mediocre.

 

•I want to be part of changing thousands of people's lives beyond what we have already accomplished.

•I want to mentor more young boys into becoming strong, productive men.

•I want to grow my team and business to an elite level far beyond where we already are.

•I want to create more impact in this world so more people can thrive and reach their own success.

 

With all those "wants", I need to set high standards and strive to live up to them.

 

Yes, Mom, you are correct; nobody can live up to my standards, not even me, but I will keep showing up every day and continue to set the bar higher.

 

Success isn't something you can accomplish in a day; success is something you need to focus on every day!!

 

Committed to your success,

Matt

 

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