Standards
Traveling to Japan made me question...
I’m back! Two weeks of no Claraddie posts, and I’m sorry about that. I left my laptop in America and traveled for two weeks throughout Japan for my honeymoon. It was a trip of a lifetime. I came back filled with inspiration for my Coaching practice.
One theme kept coming forward as I explored: Standards.
Japanese standards are unlike America’s. Their standard for hospitality, cleanliness, and cooking is of another world. Walking throughout Tokyo, their sidewalks are sparkling clean, patrons are picking up others’ trash (if there is any), and chefs are meticulously slicing your fresh fish at the market with a perfectly edged blade.
I was in awe. It’s one of the world’s busiest cities in the world, densely populated, and all of these individuals are adhering to these high standards of living.
In contrast, I see people in San Francisco throwing their coffee cups “near” the trash can, the streets are covered in gunk, and the takeout lunch was cooked weeks ago and just pre-heated for your consumption.
How did they get there and how did we get here?
This post is not for an international relations lens on how to live with Japanese standards. It is, however, about what standards can do to you as an individual.
Regardless of how these standards came to be in Japan (cultural historians, please jump in) what I took away from seeing this way of living is that the standard we hold ourselves to either propels us forward or holds us back. And these standards don’t need to be city or country-wide for them to affect you.
While it may be easier to be told how to go about your day by your boss, partner, or elected government official, try and establish standards for yourself that you deem as acceptable.
Is it illegal for you to not clean up after yourself at the community lunch table at work? No, but is it acceptable for you?
Is it illegal for you to be late to your meeting? No, but is to acceptable for you?
Is it illegal for you to complain to your coworker about your boss? No, but is it acceptable for you?
See how this process works… the more you pay attention to what you deem as acceptable standards, the more obvious they become.
How you handle yourself on a daily basis represents who you are, and what you stand for. What standards are you holding yourself to?
Hi, I’m Maddie at Claraddie
After a decade spent alongside CEOs and leaders across industries, I’ve learned where ambition meets friction. I help rising executives and founders quiet the noise, break old patterns, and grow with intention.
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