You’re Not Stuck: Build Discipline, Raise Your Standards, and Accelerate Career Growth

This episode breaks down a hard truth about career growth, personal development, and leadership: most people don’t fail because of a lack of talent—they plateau because their standards are too low when no one is watching.

For Gen Z and Millennials navigating burnout, pressure, and constant comparison, this conversation reveals why goals don’t drive success—standards do.

If you want more discipline, consistency, and real momentum in your career, this is where it starts.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

•  Why internal standards—not goals—determine your results 
•  How to stop negotiating with yourself and build real discipline 
•  The difference between being busy and being effective 
•  How to exceed expectations at work without burnout 
•  The habits that build trust, reliability, and career growth 
•  The alignment formula: identity → standards → habits → results 
•  A simple 3-step system to reset your performance 
•  A 7-day challenge to build consistency immediately 

If you feel stuck, inconsistent, or ready to level up—this episode is your reset.

Subscribe for more insights on leadership development, career growth, Gen Z and Millennial success, and workplace strategy.

Share this episode with someone who needs it—and leave a review with the one standard you’re committing to this week.

Transcript

Welcome And The Comfort Trap

SPEAKER_00 0:07

Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of your motivational Gen Z and Millennial Expert Podcast. I am your host. My name is Dr. Jason Wiggins, and it is an absolute pleasure to be here. So thank you for being here today. And today we are focused on career growth, personal growth for Gen Z and Millennials, and really any other generation that really wants to be impacted and move forward in the right direction. Let me ask you something and be honest with yourself. Are you actually underperforming or are you just comfortable meeting the bare minimum? You've convinced yourself good is enough because most people don't fail from the lack of talent. They fail because their internal standards are too low to ever demand more of themselves. And the crazy part you can work harder, you can chase more goals, even look successful on the outside, and still be falling short of your real potential. The gap between what you're capable of and what you're consistently delivering. That's where your growth is either built or buried. So in this episode, we're not just talking about motivation. We're talking about raising the standard you live by internally and externally. So your results actually start to match your potential. Your potential is your inner ability to get things done, to have that desire to push to the next level, to maximize your potential, and to not waste what you have been given. We have all been given talent. We have all been given the goods. Sometimes it seems like we might be dealt a bad hand or things might be unfair or unpleasant for us during the moment, but that is where the cream rises to the top. That's what separates the doers from the can-notters. There's a previous episode that I'd like to talk about where we actually focused on the can-doers and the can notters. And that's where the difference lies. That's where we make that internal impact on ourselves, and then we explore that, we extrapolate that onto the playing field, onto our careers, our personal growth. So, first we are going to break down why your internal expectations are your real ceiling. Because if you don't demand more of yourself, nothing outside of you is going to change in a meaningful way. Then we'll really go into external expectations, how to actually stand out in your career, your work, your life without burning yourself out and becoming someone you're not. After that, we're going to connect the two because real growth only happens when what you expect from yourself matches with how you show up in the real world. That's where consistency, discipline, and identity all come together. And finally, I'm going to give you a simple, practical system you can start using immediately to raise your standards and start exceeding expectations without complicating your life. And then we're going to conclude with some ways for you to get back on the right track. Focus on exceeding expectations. As you notice, I didn't say meet expectations. I stated exceed expectations. And as Gen Z and millennials, you have all the talent of the world, you have all the resources in the world. You have all the ability in the world. The only thing you need is that fire. That fire to burn inside and let you roar like a lion. Let you jump out of that cage and attack the world. Because at the end of the day, this isn't about doing more. It's about becoming someone who separates, who operates at a higher standard, no matter who is watching. And what's that change? Everyone else starts to follow. So let's start with one place most people avoid. The expectations you have on yourself when no one else is looking. And that is where you see the difference. When people that are true character are going to do the right thing when nobody is looking. Because when you can do that, you can focus on setting goals, having internal expectations, and really make sure that you are on the right path. You don't get what you want, you get what you tolerate from yourself. Most people set goals, but they don't set standards. Maybe goals will equal occasional targets. They'll put the bullseye on there and they'll go, oh, you know what? The dart came close, somewhat. I'm satisfied with that. Well, if you are a true individual that wants to exceed expectations, then you're not going to be satisfied until you hit the bullseye. And I can speak for myself. As a growing up, I was really wanted to be the best at everything I did. I wanted to be the best, which is good. That internal motivation, that fire, that's what you want. You want to be the best. You want to be able to have the ability. But not all the time was I willing to keep trying to throw that dart on the dartboard and hit the bullseye. I would be off to target, and then I would just throw my hands up in the air and go, Well, I was close. I almost did it. I should be satisfied. No, if you want to get somewhere in life, you want to get where you want to go, you want to get to the top, then stop letting yourself unperform. And that's why you have to set the daily non-negotiables. For an example, a goal. I want to get promoted. Okay, that's a great goal. But the standard is I don't miss opportunities to elevate myself. Or if you want to talk about exercise, another goal, I want to get in shape. Well, then I don't miss workouts, period. A bodybuilder that wants to perform at its highest level will not miss a workout. Because people subconsciously lower their standards. I know none of you listeners do that because you're listening to this podcast because you are a high performer. But even as a high performer, we have our moments where we don't always perform at the optimal level because we are human. Sometimes when you subconsciously lower your standards, you make excuses, you delay your effort, and you reward inconsistency. For example, if you get a sale, you're a salesperson, you're feeling great, you go have a night on the town, you celebrate that sale, and then you decide to take the next day off. And then maybe the next day after that, you do some cold calls, but you only do a few. At that point, you're letting your standards down, you're delaying that effort. And then when you do get the occasional sale, you're rewarding inconsistency. So you cannot let that happen. If your inner voice negotiates with discipline, the results will always be inconsistent. Let me repeat this. If your inner voice negotiates with discipline, your results will always be inconsistence. So therefore, you have to reframe your discipline. Don't punish yourself. Just understand that these are the expectations. This is how I'm going to perform. And it's going to be about how I can self-respect myself while I'm in action. What does that mean? It means that I'm willing to work hard, celebrate the wins, feel good about what I've accomplished, but also understand that I am not done. I am not done as a Gen Z and millennial. I have so much to offer, so much to give. And even, and even when things are a little bit difficult, which they will be, I will perform, I will give my best effort, I will continue to try. Interesting enough. And what's interesting is when he started playing literally, he was batting 10th, 11th in the batting order. But because he kept on trying, he kept on going to batting cages, we had a positive attitude, we worked hard, and now he's batting at one of the high, he has one of the highest batting averages on the team, and he's now batting first because of his speed and ability to able to hit the ball. That is where you want to strive for. You want to strive for continuous improvement. He may be younger, but he's still focused on wanting to be better. And he asked me, what do I need to do to not bat 11th, 10th, whatever it is in the batting order? Because usually the lower you bat, it's because you lack the power, you lack the ability to hit. And I said, you have to hit your way up. And that's exactly what he did. So just you have to make sure you don't discipline yourself, you don't punish yourself. You just realize that I have to continue to improve. So that's why you don't rise to your goals, you fall to your standards. And that is reflective of those individuals that are inconsistent on what they do. Your life reflects what you repeatedly allow, not what you can occasionally want, meaning you are going to go to the same standards in a lot of cases where you didn't take the different path to get the better results. And that's why, even as my son, I tell him early on, you get what work you put in. It sounds cliche, it sounds simple, but that's the reality. And that doesn't matter what age you are. That means that Generation Z, millennial, generation X, baby boomer, whatever it may be, we all have the opportunity. Now here's the problem. Most people think if they just work hard externally, everything will fix itself. But that's only half the equation. The reality is sometimes you want to work smarter, not harder. I'm sure you've heard that statement before, but it's so true. You want to have everything aligned, you want to have yourself prepared, you want to be organized, you want to make sure that you have the key initiatives covered for what you need to do moving forward. What does that look like? If you have a sales call, you make sure you know exactly what you're gonna say, you have it all lined up, you know you talk about the key points, you talk about how you can help improve whatever problem they have, you talk about all the key points, and then you let them explain what the problem is. And sometimes they'll even tell you what price they're getting from other competitors. And if you really achieve a good dialogue and a sense of belongingness with them, and you have that relationship built, then you're gonna be able to focus on getting the results, not just from hard work, but from working smarter and developing relationships. Exceeding expectations externally is about value, not volume. So again, it's not how hard you work, it's how you work, it's how you utilize your expectations to determine what the outcome is gonna be. And that's where shift from doing more to doing what matters more. What actually makes people stand out? Reliability, doing what you say consistently, preaching what you practice, doing the things that everybody expects you to do. Again, it's doing what people expect you to do when you're not looking as well. Taking initiative, solving problems before being asked, looking as a being and looking as a forward thinker, communication. You gotta have clarity, you gotta have follow-through. Communication is one of the biggest factors. We've talked about this in previous podcasts. It's the biggest factor that separates the successful from the unsuccessful. How you elaborate, how you have a consistent message, and how you communicate that message is going to impact your job, your life, your personal growth, your professional growth, and the ability to get what you want. If you demand things, you demonstrate a negative attitude, you tend to have a derogatory sense of being, people will see that. And they're not going to oblige by providing you, you know, the positive results that you want. Now I want to introduce a rule. This rule is called the one plus rule. And what that is, is whatever is expected of you, add one additional layer of excellence. Let me repeat that. Whatever is expected of you, add one layer of excellence. What that really breaks down to, the one plus rule, is ensuring that whatever you do, you take it a step further. There's a book called The 10x rule out there, and it's about really focusing on doing more, getting the results, and not being happy with what you've achieved. And that is called the 10x rule. The 10x rule really separates individuals from not getting what they want. And that book is by Grant Cardone called the 10x rule. It really introduces the 10x rule as a critical differentiator between success and failure while advocating for massive action beyond typical levels. So this really explores the concept of a fourth degree of action that enables individuals and companies to achieve their goals and dreams. Now, when I've read this 10X book, I'll tell you it did seem a little bit over the top. It did seem like, how can you do this much in this amount of time? But what it really comes down to is adding that one layer of excellence. So, for example, you know, don't wait to the last minute, don't procrastinate to turn in work. Submit your work early. And just don't do the bare minimum. Add extra value, extra insight, provide additional layer of excellence. And then follow up proactively. If you're out there looking for a job, just don't shoot a resume across one of the job boards and hope that somebody wants to interview you. What you need to do is follow up, maybe try to find out who the key hiring individual is, drop them an email, drop them a LinkedIn. And even if you're able to connect via a phone call and you put that extra effort or you send them a card or something to demonstrate how you are hungry to want to work there. This is the story of being able to add excellence and really speak to what can be done. So when we talk about what is reality for Gen Z and millennials, the hustle culture burnout is real. Yes, you work hard, you work to the max trying to get where you want to go, but that's where we state work smarter, not harder. You know, and that's why you see the quiet quitting versus intentional growth. They say, you know what? I give up. I'm just gonna quit, find another job that wants to focus on my personal growth. But what's happening there is that quiet quitting is more of a problematic statement versus really promoting your career. It shows that we quit something because we didn't like the results. But if you provide that extra one layer of excellence, that is where you don't need to overwork. You need to be intentional about what you do. Take on that extra layer. Overworking is unsustainable, but intentional excellence is strategic and noticeable. So exceeding expectations isn't about being busy. It's about being valuable, bringing value to the conversation, bringing value to your personal growth, bringing value to those people around you, making them feel like they're the most important person in the room. And people do not remember effort, they remember impact. Think about the last sporting of a championship. Do you remember the person that lost in that championship game, or do you remember the winner? They all put effort in, they all did what they wanted to do to try to win, but people don't remember effort, they remember the impact that was made on the game, and typically they remember who the winner is. If someone watched how you work for one week, would they say you're dependable or just present? This is an important question, so I want to repeat this. I want you to think about it. If someone watched how you work for one week, would they say you're dependable or just present? That means are you going through the motions? Are you going through the motions to where I'm doing the minimum, I'm here to collect the paycheck, I want to get promoted, but I'm not willing to do what it takes. That is going through the motions, and that is being present. That is being in a relationship with your work where you are no longer interested because you're not seeing the rewards, you're not seeing what your effort you know comes back with. So that is why you have to look and go, how can I be present? How can I be dependable? And how can I be consistently doing great work without an extreme amount of effort because I'm working smarter, not harder. But here's where it all breaks down for most people. They either focus too much on themselves or too much on others, but they never align the two. Let's look at this. Let's look at two different scenarios. You have high ambition but low consistency. What does this mean? Have you ever known people that they want to do the world? They want to conquer, they want to be the biggest thing ever, but they don't put in the work. They have low consistency, they got big dreams, big, big, big dreams, but they don't execute consistently. They don't do the things that matter, they don't push it to the next level, they don't add that extra layer, and then they experience this frustration cycle away. Wait a minute, I'm doing so much, but I'm not getting back in return the effort I'm putting in. Yes, you are. You are getting what you put in. You're putting in low consistency, looking for high rewards. That's why high ambition must equal high consistency. Strategic, dependability, consistent. Big dreams are great, but you got to put in the smart work, the effort, the consistency. The other part of this scenario, external success, but internal misalignment. You might be doing a great job, you look successful, but you feel unfulfilled and disconnected. I can tell you at times, that's where I felt. People may see on the external surface that Dr. Jason is successful. He's doing the things in life. He's done a lot of things to help others, and he's really putting himself out there to help move the cause of motivation and career growth for Gen Z and millennials. But I am also one of those individuals that I'm a big dreamer. I have high goals and I put in the effort. But sometimes I just don't feel I'm making the impact that I want to make and where my alignment with internal goals are not always matching what my external success rate is. So that's why I want to align not only what I can do for the audience, do for the podcast, do for my leadership role and my teaching, I want to make sure that I'm making an impact. And then having no real identity behind the work that you do, where you feel that unfulfilled and disconnected. Have you ever felt like when you're going through the motions, you feel like you're doing a good job, but there's not a real identity? You feel like, what's the purpose? As Gen Z millennials, you want to find purpose. You want to know that your work is valued, not just compensation-wise, but towards making the better good of the world. So that's where your identity should be reflective of the work you're doing. And that's where that disconnect lies. Sometimes we have to go, okay, let's make sure we can focus on getting things done, but having that identity, working towards the goals of the company alone, ensuring that we're securing our own goals as well. So let's look at this. When you break it down, the alignment formula to make sure that you look successful, you feel fulfilled, and you have an identity at work. You want to make sure your identity is towards your standards, your standards towards your habits, and your habits are towards your results. So let's break it down. Identity is who you believe you are. What you accept from yourself are your standards. Your habits are what you repeatedly do and your results are what your life shows. Identity, who you believe you are, standards. Who you accept from yourself, habits. What you repeatedly do and your results, what your life shows. If your identity doesn't match your ambition, your habits will always fall apart. So you don't want to let that happen. You want to make sure you're bridging that gap, you're having consistency over intensity. What does that look like? If you're at the gym, you're working out, and you work out once a week, and you work out super hard during that once a week, you're showing inconsistency, but you need to be consistent versus intensity. Meaning, if you work super hard on that one day, but you don't do anything else for the rest of the week, is that really going to help build up muscle, make you feel better in the gym? No, you've got to have consistency. And again, we talk about working smarter, not harder, tracking your effort, not being a perfectionist, but making sure you're identifying with the goals and the effort you put in and you're taking those strategic steps towards consistency and success. And then your environmental check, who you're around, surrounding yourself with good people, people that have your back, people that want you to be successful, people that are rallying around you for your goals. So if that's your friends, that's your spouse, that's your significant one, whatever it may be, you want to surround yourself with people that have the better good of yourself with your true self-worth and your intentions. And then you have to look what are your daily habits, what you consume daily, what are the habits that surround you that you do that maybe are counterproductive? That's where you want to continue to bridge those gaps and find ways to identify and improve on them. You can't build a high-level life with low-level habits. This is probably the most important thing. If you take anything from this episode today, you can't build a high-level life, which is success, with lower level habits. Alignment removes friction, but everything starts to feel more natural. So when you have the alignment, when you have things going in the right way, that removes those barriers, that removes those friction, and everything starts to feel natural. Now, as a listener, I want you to think about this. Does your daily routine actually reflect the person you say you want to become? So think about that. If it doesn't, today among every day is a great day to start. So now the question becomes how do you actually apply this without complicating your life? This is where we get into the steps. This is where simple systems create a powerful consistency. And this three-step system starts with number one defining your non-negotiables. What does that look like? It means pick two to three standards that you'll never break. Just only two to three standards you will never break. These are your daily habits. So let's provide a couple examples for you because everybody's going to be different. But number one, show up on time. Never show up late. Another good example. Finish what you start. Don't take on 10 different projects and only finish five. You need to start a project, wherever that may be, and you need to finish it. And then another good goal is maybe would be one hour of focused work daily, where you focus on planning what you're going to do, how you're going to do it, you're going to achieve it, you're going to go through the motions to make sure that you're setting yourself, your team up for success. So that's your personal success and your professional success. So the three-step system, number one, is to find your negotiables, and they can be anything, but pick an example, but don't build a perfect life. Build a consistent baseline. Number two, win the day. We talked about in previous podcasts about making your bed is the first decision for the day to be successful. So you want to check that out on our previous podcast. But win the day rule. Each day you identify with one personal growth action and then one career-focused action. So if you win the day, you are identifying one personal growth action and one career-focused action. If you win those two, the day counts. You have won the day. The third step rule. This is where you have a weekly self-audit. Ask yourself, what did I say I do? What did I actually do? And where did I fall short? This is where you have a true assessment of your abilities, your self-reflection, and where you can improve the next week. Take a few minutes at the end of every week and give yourself that weekly self-audit. Ask yourself, what did I say I did? What did I actually do? And where did I fall short? And this is where you want to raise your floor, not your ceiling. Don't keep striving farther. Raise that floor to bring you up. And then ultimately, consistency beats intensity every single time. So these three-step systems will help you define your non-negotiables, win the day, and provide yourself a weekly self-audit to make sure you are always on track on a weekly basis. Stop asking how to impress the world. Start asking, am I impressed with my own effort when nobody is watching? Because that's where everything changes. So I have a call to action for you listeners. For the next seven days, I want you to pick one standard and don't break it. No matter what, don't break it. No excuses. No, this happened. I couldn't do it because of this reason. This is where that weekly audit is going to come into effect. You are going to give yourself one standard that you are going to connect with, you are going to own, and you are going to ensure that you don't break it. And then you add on to that, you add that consistency, that self-discipline. And then you are moving in the right direction. Not when you're tired, not when it's inconvenient, not when nobody's watching. You are going to pick one standard and then not break it. So if this episode hits you in a positive way and you felt like you've got something out of it, feel free to share it with someone who else, with somebody else that also understands that they need this help too. If they're stuck, you can help them. And if you're serious about leveling up, commit to that one standard today. I am your host. My name is Dr. Jason Wiggins, and I really appreciate the listenership today. I appreciate you listening. And we are continuing to build a podcast that is global. And this podcast is for Gen Z and millennials who want to have that blueprint for career growth, motivation, and really being impacted in their daily life. So thank you very much. Continue to listen, like, subscribe. And I can't wait till our next week's episode drops next Monday and every Monday. So again, my name is Dr. Jason Wiggins. I am your motivational Gen Z and Millennial Expert Podcast. Thank you. Take care, friends, and bye bye.