High Performance Standards

Our standards reflect on how well we tend to do things. Being thorough, comprehensive, paying attention to details, and being nit-picking are part of the process of delivering good or better work. Perfectionists may appear to be a pain in the *** as times, however they are usually well intentioned. Perfectionists only have difficulty accepting more people into their perceived inner circle of performers since they live up to a higher personal set of standards and rules. You tend to hear: ‘If you can’t do a better job, I’ll do it myself!’

High standards of performance are also a part of our discipline. In the last two years in this blog, we covered the topic of discipline and interviewed highly disciplined athletes. This discipline and diligence to adhering to personal discipline (and that of others) has been translated into actual performance and record-breaking performance.

When you race – why do you race? Is it to collect yet another medal to that over-flowing shoebox of stained ribbons? Is it because you want to add another certificate into your resume of sporting achievements? Or, do you enjoy collecting race tees so that you can one day form a quilt that becomes your requiem for physical redemption? We must have a shelf-life for intense competition and racing for we do get injured, and our joints get worn down and out.

Perhaps standards are variable measurements. Numbers can be altered. Performance standards can vary, and we can use other variables to measure our performance. Hear these words from managers during a performance interview and you may shake your head in displeasure:


‘I gave you a B because I would not give myself anything higher than a B!’

‘It is what it is.’

‘It is enough to get you through another year.’

‘I am not agreeing. I am NOT disagreeing.’

‘Whatever you ask me to, Drill-Sergeant!’ (Sorry – that was from Forest Gump, the film).

Here is a review of professional magician, Nique Tan on his recent one-night-only, one-person performance at the Raffle Jubilee Theatre. Look out for more of Nique’s high standards in his work; he is great for international corporate engagements.

Race hard. Train safely. Rest more. Recover well. May you perform to your expectations often.