It’s a while since this incident occurred but I have found myself thinking about it quite recently as I reflect on 2021 and seek to address the areas of my life where I have been holding myself back from achieving all that I claim to desire.
Maybe it will resonate with you too.
I was annoyed, I can’t pretend otherwise.
It had been a crazy busy few months – every kind of challenge had presented itself and with no end in sight, I was starting to feel very overwhelmed. No matter how hard I worked, no matter how many extra hours I spent in the office, the ‘To-Do list’ never got any shorter and I felt like I was suffocating. I just needed some time to breathe.
I took my frustration out on him.
He (The Boss) had just appeared in my office as I came to the end of a meeting with key members of the team. We had been together all morning working out how best to manage the impact of a poor yield from the night-shift manufacture run.
“Did you see my email?” he asked me.
“Not yet, I said – when did you send it?”
“An hour ago.”
“Ok – what do you need?”
I provided the information requested and practically threw it at him.
And yes, that was very unusual behaviour from me. But it had been a very long week, and I was tired.
Later that same day, he called me to his office. What’s wrong Linda he asked me… acknowledging that my behaviour earlier in the day had been far from ‘normal’ and clearly an indication that I was feeling the pressure.
“I’m sick of it” – I explained (whilst explaining nothing at all!)
“Sick of being treated so differently from the other members of the team.
It seems that you expect way more from me than you do from them”
What do you mean? he enquired further..
And so, I started my rant….
“The Marketing Director … he has been promising for 4 months to provide you with the research findings. And yet, still nothing….
The Finance Director …. He too promises each month to deliver X but with every month that passes, provides a more elaborate excuse as to why the information is not yet available.
But me? You send me an email and if I haven’t responded within the hour, you are at my office door wondering why?
He looked me straight in the eye and he said …
Linda, I don’t set the standard. YOU DO!
Say what?
He said it again. YOU set the standard.
I was dumb-struck. He was soooo right…
I did set the standard.
I did then, and I do now.
And here I am, possibly 15 years later – revisiting that experience and reminding myself (reminding us all) that WE set the standard in our own lives.
We decide what is acceptable in the way that others treat us. We decide how to allocate our time, our money, all of our resources. How much time we spend in idle gossip, watching TV or learning something new. We get to decide what we put into our bodies and we decide how much time we spend on taking care of our OWN needs.
So here I am consciously committing to raising the bar in 2022 and setting a new standard of acceptability.
And this year, (for me at least) it’s not about others, it is in the way that I take care of myself. What I eat, how I dress, how I allocate my time, how I maintain a positive vibe every day. I’m committed to looking good, feeling fabulous and doing way more of the things I love.
How about you?
- Who sets the standard in your life?
- Is there any area of your life where you need to RAISE the standard.
- How different would each day look if you were to prioritise your own happiness and wellbeing?
Something to think about. And maybe implement a few changes?
You won’t regret them, I can promise you that.
x Until next time, sending you love x
I would love to get to know you more, connect with me here.
