Stop Chasing Outcomes, Start Raising Standards

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I remember the day vividly.

Blasting music in my car, I began shaking my body back and forth as I held onto the steering wheel.

I had just hit 10,000 subscribers on YouTube after 3 years of consistent posting.

The feelings carried on into the night, and a few days afterwards.

But eventually, I realized that I didn’t want to celebrate forever. And then it was back to work like normal.

You might’ve heard me talk about the concept of The Hedonic Treadmill in one of my videos. It’s the idea that once you reach a new level of living—whether that be a rise in status, wealth, or relationships—t feels like a “high” for a while. But then, it becomes the new normal for you. And so, you’ve gotta chase that next big thing in order to replicate the feelings you once had.

This is already a good argument for why you shouldn’t attach yourself so rigidly to your achievements.

But what if you don’t hit the expectations you wanted? What then?

I had a goal at the beginning of 2023 to hit a million subscribers by the end of the year. Remembering how happy the 10,000 subscriber milestone made me, and how quickly my channel was growing at the time, I thought this was doable.

About halfway through 2023, I began to realize that I wasn’t going to hit my goal. And this is when I started to change my approach to my career entirely.

Instead of focusing on the metrics—the views, the subscriber count, or the comments—I asked myself, “Am I assuming the standard of someone who will eventually hit 1,000,000 subscribers?”

Someone who eventually hits 1,000,000 subscribers would probably:

• Upload at least once a week

• Stay up to date on the latest algorithm changes and trends

• Try to improve each video by 1%

That was the standard I set for myself. And standards are not focused on the outcome.

I could hit 1 million subscribers in a few months. I could hit it in a few years.

But that’s not what matters to me. What matters is that I am consistently showing up as the standard I have set for myself. And if you do that, the expectations you are so heavily attached to, that you think you need to get to right now, will come as a natural byproduct of embodying the standard you set.

Stop focusing on the outcome, or what you expect to happen in a certain time period.

All you’re doing is setting yourself up for dissapointment. Life is too unpredictable to know exactly what the fruits of your labor will look like after a set period of time (unless you’re, ironically, growing something like fruits.)

Don't focus on what you want to achieve. Focus on who you need to become. Ask yourself: What standards does my ideal self live by? And what can I start doing to become that person today?

No more strict deadlines that lead to despair. No more giving up because you didn’t get what you wanted.

When it happens rarely matters. What matters is that your actions are aligned with the results you want—without having rigid expectations for when those results should come.

I promise you, life feels much less emotionally uncontrollable that way.

One of the most impactful ways for me to consistently show up as my standard, has been to meet with a group of people who see me as that standard, and won’t accept anything less from me.

Connecting with others that have high standards is the key.

And that is why I created my Self Mastery School.

Self Mastery School is a place for those who want to actualize their greatest potential, strengthen their self awareness, and connect with like-minded, down-to-earth humans.

When you join the school, you’ll get access to:

• Full length courses/eBooks (including my Ultimate Self Mastery Course)

• Weekly coaching calls and lectures (related to self-awareness, making money online, social skills, fitness, etc.)

• An exclusive community of ambitious, open-minded people

It’s a place for those who feel like they can’t talk to anyone about self-improvement in real life, and are trying to find their tribe.

The friendships in there feel genuine.

And I have a feeling you’re going to find your tribe in there, too.

Here's some wins from our community:

Hope to see you in there.

Quote of The Week

Thanks for reading, everyone. Hope you enjoy your weekend.

-Cole