Our standards are revealed by our actions. What we do speaks much louder than what we say. Missions and written standards are only worth the paper they are written on unless they are acted upon. Our mission and standards are the core of who we are. When we do not live up to them, we become pretenders.
My high school football coach, Ron Jones, used to share with us every season that, “September is for pretenders, October is for contenders!” This statement details the importance of consistency in our actions toward our predetermined set of goals. We cannot clamp limitations and must continue to live up to our standards when we are halfway to our goals and the novelty of beginning has worn off.
By setting our standards high and following them through good and bad times, we greatly increase our chances of success. The standards we set for ourselves and our teams can never be compromised. Never settle! When we compromise standards, we fail. It may not show right away, but it will in time.
When things are going poorly, we have to stay on task and work to the standards to get better. We have to overcome the negative thinking that tells us to tell us to lighten up because failure is inevitable. Greatness comes from driving through tough times and coming out on top. We do this by living up to our standards regardless of the circumstance. Use adversity to make yourself better. Never compromise; toughen up, adjust and win. This is how comebacks happen. We may be down at times, but we never allow ourselves to be out.
It is also vital to never compromise standards in periods of prosperity. This is one of the greatest traps in life. Complacency is the greatest enemy! When things are going well, remember what has gotten you where you are. Prosperous times are not the times to coast. Actually, the opposite is true. This is the time to push even harder, evaluate and raise the standards of performance. Consistent growth is the pathway to lasting success. This means to constantly look to raise the bar when the time is right.
Championship standards are consistent. They are born from our base beliefs and desire to achieve greatness. They are the expectations for our attitudes and actions. When we are consistent with them we see continual growth and achievement. As we already know, consistency is the truest measure of performance. Consistency requires concentration, determination and repetition. Clear standards are the guide to developing consistency in thought and deed.
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