We all have expectations for ourselves and for those around us, but sometimes it can be hard to tell if our standards are too high – or even if they’re too low.
Is there a way to know what level of expectations is best for us? Let’s take a look at some ways to determine whether our standards are appropriate or not.
Know Yourself and Your Values
The first step in determining the appropriate level of standards for yourself is getting to know yourself and your values. What matters most to you? What kind of person do you want to be?
Answering these questions can help you set realistic standards that align with your core values and goals. If you want to become an expert in a certain field, it’s natural to set a high bar for yourself when it comes to learning and mastering the skill.
Similarly, if you want to form meaningful relationships with people, setting a standard of respect and mutual understanding is important. Once you understand yourself better, you will be better equipped to make decisions about which standards are right for you in any given situation.
Understand the Context
When evaluating whether your expectations are too high (or too low), it’s important to consider the context in which they are set. For example, if someone isn’t meeting your expectations in a particular scenario, ask yourself why that might be the case – perhaps their resources or abilities aren’t up to par yet?
It’s not always fair to expect someone else (or even ourselves) to meet our own personal benchmarks without taking into account any outside factors that might affect them or their ability to succeed. Consider the circumstances before making any judgments about whether or not your expectations should have been higher or lower than they were.
Evaluate Your Results
Another way of determining whether your standards are too high is by evaluating your results when they don’t meet what you expected them too.
Do we feel disappointed or frustrated because we didn’t reach our goal? Or do we feel energized by the challenge and motivated by failure?
If we find ourselves feeling discouraged or overwhelmed by failure then chances are our expectations may be out of sync with reality – either they’re too high or too low! On the other hand, if we feel inspired and determined after failing then maybe our expectations are just right!
The Difference between High Expectations and Unrealistic Standards
There is a difference between having high expectations of yourself or others, and setting unrealistic standards. Having high expectations means that you are challenging yourself or others to reach their potential, while setting unrealistic standards leads to disappointment or feelings of failure. It’s important to know the difference between the two so that you can strive for personal growth without putting unnecessary pressure on yourself or your relationships.
How to Set Reasonable Standards in Everyday Life
Let’s take a look at how to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy standards.
What Are Healthy Standards?
Healthy standards are those that allow you to strive for excellence without becoming overwhelmed or putting too much pressure on yourself. They should be achievable and realistic based on your own capabilities and resources. Goals should also be broken down into manageable steps so that you don’t become overwhelmed by the task at hand.
When setting standards, it’s important to remember that everyone has different abilities, needs, and resources. What may seem like a reasonable standard for someone else may not be achievable for you — and that’s okay! It’s important to focus on what is within your control and remain flexible when unexpected events occur.
Changing Your Mindset
It can be difficult to adjust your mindset if you have been telling yourself the same thing over and over again — such as “my standards have always been so high” or “I must reach this standard in order to succeed”.
However, striving for excellence does not mean having an impossible set of expectations – it means working hard towards something meaningful while taking into account your own limitations.
Taking some time each day to reflect on what is possible with the resources available can help put things back into perspective and give you a more realistic view of what is achievable.
Last Words:
At the end of the day, only you can answer this question – nobody else can decide what level of expectation is best for us. Knowing oneself, understanding context, reflecting on results—these are all great tools for helping us determine whether our standards are appropriate or not. Ultimately it comes down to trusting ourselves and having faith that whatever conclusions we come up with will lead us down the correct path towards success!
