Do Not Lower Your Expectations: Why Settling Isn’t an Option

It’s easy to lower your expectations when things get tough. After all, setting high standards can feel daunting, especially when you face setbacks or obstacles along the way. But here’s the truth: lowering your expectations is the fastest way to limit your success. When you aim low, you get low results. In today’s episode of Crushing the Day, we’re talking about why you should never lower your expectations and how keeping your standards high is the key to unlocking your full potential. Let’s explore how aiming higher will help you reach your goals and achieve the greatness you’re capable of.

Key Takeaways

• High expectations lead to high achievement: When you expect more from yourself, you push yourself harder and reach greater heights.

• Lowering expectations leads to settling: When you lower your standards, you’re more likely to settle for less than you deserve.

• Obstacles don’t mean lower your standards: Challenges are part of the journey—don’t let them cause you to lower your expectations.

• Success comes from maintaining high standards: The most successful people refuse to lower their expectations, even when the road gets tough.

High Expectations Lead to High Achievement

The higher you aim, the more you achieve. It’s a simple equation: when you set high expectations for yourself, you naturally push yourself to reach them. You’re more focused, more disciplined, and more committed to doing whatever it takes to achieve those high standards.

People often lower their expectations because they’re afraid of failure or disappointment. But here’s the truth—when you lower the bar, you lower the outcome. You’re giving yourself permission to settle for “good enough,” and that mindset won’t get you to greatness.

Example: Think of athletes like Kobe Bryant or Serena Williams. They didn’t become the best in their fields by aiming for mediocrity. They set incredibly high expectations for themselves and did the work necessary to meet them. It’s that relentless pursuit of excellence that separates the best from the rest.

So, if you want to achieve something extraordinary, start by setting extraordinary expectations for yourself.

Lowering Expectations Leads to Settling

When you lower your expectations, you’re essentially telling yourself that you’re okay with settling for less. It might feel easier in the short term, but over time, settling leads to frustration, regret, and missed opportunities. You might avoid disappointment by lowering your standards, but you’ll also avoid reaching your full potential.

Example: Imagine you’re working on a business goal, and things aren’t progressing as fast as you’d like. You might be tempted to lower your expectations, thinking, “Maybe I’ll just aim for a smaller win.” But doing that means you’re settling for less than you originally wanted. Over time, settling like this chips away at your confidence and leaves you wondering, “What if I had just kept pushing?”

The bottom line? Settling for less never feels as good as reaching for more. Don’t sell yourself short by lowering your standards.

Obstacles Don’t Mean Lower Your Standards

When you face setbacks or challenges, it’s easy to think, Maybe I should lower my expectations. But obstacles are a natural part of any worthwhile journey. The path to success is rarely a straight line—there will be bumps, detours, and setbacks along the way. But lowering your expectations isn’t the answer.

Example: Consider Thomas Edison, who famously said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Despite countless setbacks, he never lowered his expectations for creating the lightbulb. Instead, he kept pushing forward, adjusting his strategy while keeping his high standards intact.

When you hit a rough patch, don’t see it as a reason to aim lower. Instead, use it as fuel to keep moving toward the high expectations you’ve set for yourself.

Success Comes From Maintaining High Standards

The most successful people don’t lower their standards when things get hard. They don’t give up on their goals just because the path isn’t easy. They maintain their high expectations, stay committed, and keep pushing forward until they achieve what they set out to do.

Success isn’t about always hitting the mark on the first try—it’s about staying the course, adjusting when necessary, and never settling for less than you’re capable of. When you refuse to lower your expectations, you give yourself the opportunity to grow, to rise to the challenge, and to achieve more than you ever thought possible.

Example: Think about companies like Apple. Steve Jobs never lowered his expectations for innovation, even when others said certain ideas were too ambitious. By keeping his standards high, Apple became a brand known for excellence and groundbreaking products.

The lesson? Success comes from refusing to compromise on your expectations and staying focused on what you truly want to achieve.

What’s Next?

It’s time to stop lowering your expectations and start raising your standards. The goals you set for yourself should be big enough to challenge you, to push you, and to keep you growing. Don’t settle for less just because the road gets tough. Stay committed to your high expectations, and trust that with hard work and persistence, you’ll reach the success you’re aiming for.

For more strategies on staying focused, raising your standards, and achieving greatness, check out my top resources, including books and coaching programs designed to help you crush the day. Together, we’ll keep aiming high, pushing forward, and reaching new levels of success—one day at a time.