In today’s chaotic world, you and your business must have a North Star. That North Star is a clear list of standards and values. It’s that simple. Your success depends on determining your standards and values and holding to them. The only way to do that is to raise the expectation of yourself and of your business.

Calculate your standards and values by answering two fundamental questions: who are you? And what do you stand for? If your business can figure out those two truths and stick with them, you will stand out. Today’s society accepts subpar as the norm. We need to raise the bar. You will exceed the average and demonstrate why your business is superior if you hold to your standards and values. This discipline will lead you to success. 

Standards and values might not be the sexiest topic. You won’t find the average Joe talking about them at the bar after work. That’s the point. Having standards and values is rare. It sets you apart. Align your values with your core principles and purpose, and your business will grow exponentially. The reverse is also true; if you choose to skimp on your values, if you become lazy, complacent, and unmotivated – or worse, unethical, making poor decisions – your business will fail under the daily pressures of the fast-paced world.

In fact, the moment you start to relax or get too comfortable in your business, is the moment the devil is going to start knocking at the door of your company and your personal life, and it’s all downhill from there. Standards and values are the horsepower, the driver in the success of your company, and without them, you will quickly find yourself lost in a midst of complacent, like-minded, average no-names who never make it in their business or personal goals. You don’t want to be one of them. Average is doing the least amount that you possibly can and expecting the most. Average Joes wash up fast.

Standards and values mean you won’t be easily swayed by the crowd. You’ve got to stick with your own ethics to succeed in business. There’s a big difference between “living the high life” and “living a life of high value.” Living the high life might mean going out to the strip club after the convention with all your sales buddies, justifying it as “networking.” But what I have found over time is that those contacts fade as quickly as the experience of going to the club. On the other hand, the truly high-quality networking contacts that I’ve made, business contacts who I want to connect with or who I aspire to become, I don’t meet in strip clubs. I connect with them in conferences where they are working on their own personal and professional growth.

“Values are like fingerprints. Nobodies are the same but you leave them all over everything you do.” – Elvis Presley

The bottom line? High-value individuals are found in high-value settings. So, audit your environment. Look at where you spend your time, look at who you find in those environments, and see if the kind of people you’re meeting is the type of people you want to grow with or become. If the answer is neither, then you’ve got to raise the bar for yourself, change the game, and shift your environment. By aligning your environment with your standards and values, your business and personal life will uplevel.

Another part of this battle for standards in life is to simply structure your day to make it the best and most productive. This reminds me of the old Trevor versus the Trevor publishing this today. When I was a heroin addict, I went with the flow. I was easily persuaded to lower my standards, to party through the night, usually not ending well. But today, with my higher standards and values, I have found what works for my aligned goals. Each day, I challenge myself to do what’s best for me today.

If you do that in your personal life and in business, you will continually grow and improve.  Perform at whatever “today’s great” is. Thirteen years ago, that would’ve been just not having drugs that one day. That was a winning day. 

Today, making a great day consists of creating legacy, pulling the levers in life that consistently add to my productivity and vision. Look at the billionaires today. Even Elon, love him or hate him, is still making moves, based on decisions of where he wants to shape society with his standards and values. So, which levers are you going to pull consistently, starting today? That’s how you work your standards and values into your life and business growth.

Regardless of what standards and values you choose, giving and service should be a part of your core principles. As much as we’re talking about improving ourselves, to grow our businesses, we can’t overlook that the best part of life really isn’t about us. We need to think less about ourselves, get out of the fame game. It can be a trap. We’ve all done it. We’re all human. But, in the end, it should be more about putting one’s nose to the grind and getting deals done. Is our core value to show off, or is it to shine? 

I’d say, serving our clients, employees, partnerships, and even my family – that’s where I am being my best. When my standards are high in those areas, through service, everybody wins. And everyone is motivated to do better themselves, which dominoes into even greater success.

In the end, what sets you up for success in business is your decisions. You get to choose. You choose what standards and values you have. You choose whether you want the high life or the high-quality individuals. You choose whether you are average, or are excellent. You choose which lever to pull and which lever not to pull. You choose what environment you want to be in and what environment you’re going to avoid. You choose how you’re going to structure your day or whether your day shapes you.

Nothing is completely beyond your control. You design your life. And by designing your life, you design how you’re going to succeed now and in the future. In business and in your own life, it all begins with the standards and values you choose to propel your success.