“Where Do You Need to Raise Your Standards?”
Hi friend, and welcome back to Running to Myself—the podcast where we talk honestly about mindset, personal growth, and showing up for the life you were created to live, step by intentional step. I’m your host, Trisha Stanton—and today we’re exploring something that has been sitting with me in a really personal way:
Where do I need to raise my standards?
Not in a perfectionistic, hustle-harder, “try to fix yourself” kind of way.
Not from shame, not from fear, and definitely not from that voice in your head that says you’re behind or not doing enough.
But in a grounded, grace-filled, deeply intentional way that honors who you are becoming—not just who you’ve been.
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đź’ˇ What Raising Your Standards Really Means
Let’s start by redefining the phrase.
When most people hear “raise your standards,” they think pressure.
They hear “Do more. Be better. Don’t settle.”
And yes, on the surface, it might sound like a productivity slogan or a motivational quote—but here’s the truth:
Raising your standards isn’t about proving your worth.
It’s about honoring it.
It’s about asking, “Where have I been living on autopilot? Where have I accepted the bare minimum—from myself, from my habits, from my relationships—because it’s familiar or easy or just what I’ve always done?”
I’ve come to believe this:
The real gap between where we are and where we want to be is rarely about sheer effort.
It’s about expectation.
It’s about what we’re willing to tolerate… and what we believe we deserve.
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🧠Personal Reflection: My Own Wake-Up Call
Let me share something from my own life.
Recently, I noticed a pattern.
I was feeling drained—not because life was particularly hard, but because I was saying “yes” to things I no longer wanted to say yes to.
Conversations, commitments, even thoughts that I’d outgrown—but I hadn’t stopped to notice or challenge them.
It hit me:
I wasn’t overwhelmed because I was doing too much…
I was overwhelmed because I was tolerating too little from myself in key areas—too little rest, too little clarity, too little truth-telling in my schedule and priorities.
That was my wake-up call.
And maybe today can be yours.
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🔍 Questions That Shift Everything
I started asking myself three specific questions—and I want to invite you to reflect on them too:
1. What am I tolerating that’s no longer aligned with who I’m becoming?
It could be a mindset, a behavior, a relationship, or even your own inner dialogue. What’s quietly draining you… just because it’s familiar?
2. Where am I settling when I’m meant to rise?
Are you underestimating your own potential because it’s safer to play small? Are you dimming your light because you’re afraid of how things might change if you shine?
3. What would change if I believed I was truly worthy of more?
What kind of boundaries would you set? What kind of goals would you revisit? How would you carry yourself differently—if worthiness wasn’t up for debate?
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đź’¬ Making It Practical: Where Is This Showing Up in Your Life?
This isn’t just abstract. This shows up in real, tangible places.
Let’s name a few.
* Your Self-Talk: Are you speaking to yourself like someone you love and respect? Or are you tearing yourself down before you even start your day?
* Your Boundaries: Are you protecting your time and energy? Or are you saying yes to avoid conflict, even when it costs you peace?
* Your Goals and Dreams: Have you let go of something you deeply wanted—not because it stopped mattering, but because you stopped believing it was possible?
* Your Relationships: Are you pouring your energy into people or situations that reflect the old version of you, rather than where you’re heading?
Raising your standards doesn’t always mean cutting everything out and starting over.
Sometimes, it’s one small shift—choosing a higher level of care, intention, or honesty in just one area of your life.
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🌱 A Mindset Rooted in Grace, Not Guilt
Let me be clear:
This isn’t about guilt-tripping yourself into doing more.
It’s about gracefully inviting yourself into a life that reflects what really matters to you.
Growth isn’t about striving.
It’s about alignment—lining up your thoughts, actions, and choices with the person you’re becoming.
It’s saying:
“I’m not here to settle for survival mode. I’m here to build a life of purpose, peace, and impact.”
That starts with what you’re willing to expect from yourself—again, not because you’re lacking, but because you’re worthy of more.
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🕊️ Final Thoughts + Gentle Challenge
So today, I want to leave you with a challenge.
Choose one area—just one—where you know you’ve been settling.
Maybe it’s a habit, a mindset, a relationship, or a goal that’s quietly faded.
And ask yourself:
✨ “What would it look like to raise my standards here—not to prove myself, but to honor who I’m becoming?”
✨ “What if I expected more—not out of striving, but out of self-respect?”
You don’t have to raise your standards everywhere all at once.
But when you start in one area, everything else begins to shift.
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💬 Let’s Take This Deeper Together
And if this resonates with you, but you’re not sure how to begin—that’s okay.
This is exactly what I help women do in coaching: identify the subtle ways they’re playing small, uncover the beliefs holding them back, and raise their standards from a place of clarity and courage.
If you’re curious, I invite you to schedule a free consultation at trishastanton.com/signup.
It’s just a conversation—no pressure—where we can explore what’s possible for you.
You don’t have to stay stuck in patterns that no longer serve you.
You get to raise your standards—gracefully, powerfully, and on purpose.
Thank you for being here with me today.
And remember: The standards you raise today become the life you live tomorrow.
Until next time, keep running to yourself.
