25/02/2026
*Change Your Life, Change Your Standards*
*Written by Dr. Laide Okubena*
📖 Start With a Story…
Two professionals resumed the same year.
Same company.
Same economy.
Same Lagos traffic.
Same complaints about Nigeria.
Five years later…
One is still struggling, chasing small commissions, small pay begging clients to pay, blaming the economy and saying money no dey this economy.
The other is closing premium deals, flying business class, attracting serious investors, and mentoring others.
What changed?
Not the country.
Not the market.
Not luck.
Their standards changed.
If you are not currently happy with your results — personal or professional — it is your current standard showing you a mirror.
Your earnings.
Your business.
Your sales results.
Your promotion level.
Even the quality of your relationships with your spouse and children.
👉 Results don’t lie. Standards don’t hide.
*🔑 The 4 Different Types of Standards*
*1️⃣ POOR STANDARD*
When you are poor at what you do — sales, customer relationships, prospecting — you get:
No paying clients
No referrals
Rejections
Being replaced
Being blocked
Being overlooked
At work, you get fired.
In business, you get ignored.
In marriage, you create distance.
As a parent, you become a stranger.
When you do a poor job, you get no rewards.
Life responds to your level.
*2️⃣ GOOD (AVERAGE) STANDARD*
This is the dangerous level.
You show up.
You do the bare minimum.
You pay bills.
You survive.
Nothing extra.
Nothing outstanding.
And then you complain:
“Why do good people suffer?”
The truth?
You were average.
Average professionals earn average pay.
Average salespeople earn poor commissions.
Average spouses create average marriages.
Average parents build distant relationships.
If you accept average as your minimum standard,
you will receive poor rewards consistently.
The problem is not that you are bad.
The problem is that you settled for good.
*3️⃣EXCELLENT STANDARD*
This is where life starts changing.
You wake up and decide:
I will respond faster.
I will improve my skills.
I will dress better.
I will speak better.
I will upgrade my mindset.
I will improve my environment.
You move from survival to intentional growth.
At this level:
Recognition starts coming.
Good pay increases.
Better commissions appear.
Returning clients show up.
Vacations become possible.
You upgrade your car.
You attract better relationships.
When you step into excellence,
life starts stepping up for you.
*4️⃣ OUTSTANDING STANDARD*
This is legendary level.
In football, when you are outstanding, you win the highest global awards like the Ballon d'Or — like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
In basketball, when you raise your standards like Michael Jordan and LeBron James, you build billion-dollar influence.
In business, when you operate at outstanding standards like Tony Elumelu and Femi Otedola, you command global relevance.
Outstanding level attracts:
First class seats
Private jets
VIP access
Global networks
Generational wealth
Legendary recognition
Outstanding standards produce legendary rewards.
*🚀 How Do You Move From Poor to Outstanding?*
Whether you are:
A professional
An entrepreneur
A realtor
A 9–5 worker
A spouse
A parent
Here is what must change:
*1️⃣ Your Self-Identity*
Stop seeing yourself as “trying.”
Start seeing yourself as elite.
*2️⃣ Your Daily Habits*
Outstanding is built daily, not yearly. What you do daily determines your destiny and the results you seek.
*3️⃣ Your Skill Level*
Upgrade knowledge.
Upgrade communication.
Upgrade competence.
*4️⃣ Your Environment*
Your income reflects your environment.
*5️⃣ Your Associations*
Poor friends create poor conversations, if you are the 6th person amongst 6 friends you will the 6th poor person.
Average friends create average conversations.
Elite circles create elite thinking.
*6️⃣ Your Response Time*
Speed wins in sales and life.
*7️⃣ Your Emotional Discipline*
Outstanding people control reactions.
*8️⃣ Your Standards for Yourself*
Do you tolerate lateness?
Excuses?
Inconsistency?
What you tolerate becomes your reality.
*📋 Tasks of the Week*
Audit your current standard in:
Business
Marriage
Parenting
Spiritual life
Health
Identify ONE area where you are operating at “Good.”
Raise it to “Excellent” immediately.
Do one thing daily that an Outstanding version of you would do.
Cut off one average habit this week.
*❓ Question of the Day*
In which area of your life are you accepting “Good” when you were created for “Outstanding”?
🏁 Conclusion
Your life is not a mystery.
It is a mirror.
It is not late to change your life and standards
If you want:
Higher commissions
Better clients
A thriving marriage
Respect at work
Financial freedom
Elite networks
Then raise your standards.
Because the quality of your life
will never rise above
the standard you accept.
Change your standards.
Change your life.
*— Dr. Laide Okubena*
