Standards, Not Restrictions: 5 Promises to Keep for Yourself
One moment, I was sitting with my family at Mama’s Fish House in Maui, enjoying the Hawaiian breeze and sipping one of those fruity drinks with the little umbrella. The next moment, I was sure I was having a heart attack. It came on fast. Sweating through my shirt. Losing feeling in my arms. My vision going dark.
The good news? It wasn’t a heart attack. It was my first full-blown panic attack, with symptoms scary enough to get my full attention. I had been pushing harder than I realized and ignoring my own health for far too long.
Maybe you know that feeling. You keep telling yourself you’ll slow down after this season, this project, this quarter. But here’s what that moment in Maui taught me: your body keeps the score, and eventually it sends the bill.
You don’t have to wait for a defining moment to change your path.
When I got home, I had a full physical and met with a holistic specialist. Together we built a plan I still follow 15 years later. And the biggest lesson wasn’t about diet or exercise. It was this:
You don’t need crazy restrictions. You need true standards you can actually maintain.
Restrictions are rules you resent. Standards are promises you make and keep for yourself. Restrictions run on guilt. Standards run on identity, on the kind of leader you’ve decided to be.
So instead of telling you what to do (your plan should be yours, built with people who know your health), let me share the five standards that changed everything for me, and invite you to write your own:
One more thing: build your standards with grace. Mine are balanced and sustainable, with no guilt or shame when I slip. Yours should be too. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s a life you can sustain for the next 15 years and beyond.
So here’s my question for you, friend:
what standards will you set for yourself, starting today?
Don’t wait for your Maui moment. Decide now.
Because on the other side of hard is everything we’ve ever wanted.
And if this encouraged you, please take a moment to send it to a family member, friend, or colleague who could use it. The right words at the right time can become someone else’s defining moment.
Here’s to your health standards!
–Steve
As a master storyteller, Steve has unparalleled ability to communicate dynamic business and leadership truths through stories, anecdotes and humor. Harness the power of the “number one” predictor of professional success, impact, leadership, high performance and sustainable relationships in business and life. Steve’s highest rated keynote presentation.
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“The purpose of Leadership Quest is to help professionals develop their personal leadership, vision and emotional intelligence. Everyday I strive to help leaders and teams achieve their desired goals in sales productivity, leadership, time maximization, and life-balance. ”
About the Author
Steve Gutzler is the President of Leadership Quest, a premier leadership development company based in Scottsdale. As a dynamic and highly sought-after speaker, Steve has delivered over 2,500 impactful presentations to renowned organizations such as Microsoft, Starbucks, the Seattle Seahawks, Spotify, Boeing, Cisco, Starwood Hotels, Ritz-Carlton, and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
A published author and thought leader on leadership and emotional intelligence, Steve lives near Scottsdale with his wife, Julie. Together, they cherish time spent with their three adult children and six grandchildren.
