How a Culture of Higher Standards Will Help You 10x in 2025

Life won’t give you what you think you deserve—it will give you what you demand. It rewards effort, not entitlement. Show up and raise your personal standards.

This powerful truth is often overlooked in a world that prizes entitlement over effort. Life is not a Newtonian system where every action guarantees an equal reward. It’s not in the fairness business. Success doesn’t arrive simply because you show up with good looks, raw talent, or even an impressive curriculum vitae or résumé. The real question is: What standards are you setting for yourself, and are they high enough to challenge you to rise above the noise?

The Camus Example: A Case for Raising Standards

Albert Camus, the Nobel Prize-winning author, philosopher, and journalist, was not born into privilege. His father died in World War I when he was just an infant, leaving his mother to raise him under the crushing weight of poverty in colonial Algeria. Despite being naturally intelligent, Camus was not entitled to success merely because of his tragic backstory or sharp mind.

Initially, young Albert drifted through school without distinguishing himself. He could become reasonable. He could have accepted a life of mediocrity, becoming a manual laborer as his grandmother envisioned. But then, a teacher named?Louis Germain?stepped in. Monsieur Germain saw raw potential in the struggling boy and took it upon himself to help raise Albert’s standards.

Through rigorous mentoring and extra lessons, Germain helped Camus see beyond his current circumstances and into a brighter future. The young boy’s perspective dramatically shifted. He started putting in the extra work, and his standards for himself grew higher. His efforts paid off when he earned a scholarship to a prestigious school in Algiers, which set him on a path to greatness.

Years later, when Camus won the Nobel Prize for his literary contributions, he didn’t forget his teacher/mentor. He dedicated part of his acceptance speech to Monsieur Germain, saying:

“Without you, without the affectionate hand you extended to the small poor child that I was, without your teaching and example, none of all this would have happened.”

The Emotional Cycle of Change

You may be tempted to believe that this journey to the mountaintop was easy but it was not. Camus’s journey wasn’t a straight line. It followed a pattern described by?Don Kelley and Daryl Conner?in their?Emotional Cycle of Change model, outlined in 1979. The model explains the emotional stages people experience when pursuing ambitious goals:

1. Uninformed Optimism?– The excitement of starting a new challenge without fully understanding its difficulties. This is how most kids show up for school.

2. Informed Pessimism?– When these young kids realize the hard work and sacrifices required, it can lead to discouragement.

3. The Valley of Despair?– The low point where most kids quit because the rewards seem far away and they start settling for less.

4. Informed Optimism?– With proper guidance, they can gain confidence as the new mindset and hard work starts yielding results.

5. Success and Fulfillment?– Reaching the goal and appreciating the journey.

Monsieur Germain, Camus’s teacher, helped him navigate the?Valley of Despair, a critical juncture where most people break down and fall apart. By helping Camus raise his personal standards, the teacher helped Camus transition into?Informed Optimism?and ultimately reached?Success and Fulfillment.

Setting High Standards: The 10x Principle

Here’s why raising your standards is the key to exponential growth:

1. High Standards Filter Out Mediocrity

When you demand more from yourself, you naturally attract higher-quality opportunities, people, and outcomes. Low standards lead to complacency; high standards breed excellence.

2. Self-Perception Drives Results

As Camus’s story illustrates, raising your standards starts with shifting your self-perception. If you see yourself as capable of achieving more, you’ll take the necessary actions to align with that vision.

3. Effort Yields Reward

Life doesn’t reward half-hearted efforts. It rewards perseverance, discipline, and the courage to demand more from yourself than others expect of you.

4. Gratitude Amplifies Success

Like Camus, remember to acknowledge those who help you along the way. Gratitude not only keeps you grounded but also creates lasting relationships that fuel your success.

Practical Takeaway

1. Identify a Mentor

Find someone who believes in your potential and will challenge you to raise your standards. A mentor can help you see beyond your current circumstances and guide you through the Valley of Despair.

2. Reframe Setbacks as Opportunities

Instead of quitting when things get hard, double down on your efforts. Use setbacks as stepping stones to higher levels of performance.

3. Set Audacious Goals

Mediocre goals lead to mediocre results. Set goals that scare you and inspire you in equal measure.

4. Cultivate Resilience

Embrace the Emotional Cycle of Change. Understand that the Valley of Despair is temporary and that rewards come to those who persist

5. Raise Your Baseline

Continuously challenge yourself to improve. Each success should become your new baseline for future growth.

Putting It All Together:

In 2025, don’t settle for what life offers on a silver platter. Demand more by raising your personal standards:

• Seek a mentor who challenges you.
• Shift your self-perception to align with your potential.
• Refuse to quit when the going gets tough.

By adopting a culture of higher standards, you’ll not only 10x your achievements but also transform your life in ways you never thought possible.

Dimitri Boweya