A standard is a benchmark that you can test against.
It's a measure of who you are or what you are capable of.
I'm of the opinion that everyone should set standards in accordance to what they want to be.
It's a concept that was probably drilled into me by the Karate belt system, where a yellow belt and a black belt may both perform the same technique, but there is a clear difference in the standard expected from the two levels.
Each time we passed a grade to the next level we accepted a new minimum standard.
We could no longer go back to our old standard.
This thinking should apply across the board.
Personal bests, competition wins etc are fleeting moments usually coming from a peaking program, a dedicated period of training.
These heights are often unsustainable.
But minimum standards are something that you can achieve every day of the week.
Yes, you could do more on a good day.
But you'll never do less, no matter how bad your day is.
Regards
Dave Hedges