You And Your Expectations

Expectations, for me, are the source of one of our biggest paradoxes.

Low expectations are said to be the key to happiness, but they're often a self-fulfilling prophecy. It creates psychological protection against failure. But by doing so we don't put as much effort as we could, and that leads to poor results.

High expectations, on the other hand, can't lead to anything but disappointment. The more you expect, the smaller is the chance you're actually going to get it. And it doesn't matter if coming short of your ambitious dreams is still an objectively good result - As long as it's worse than what you aimed for, you will lack the enjoyment and momentum to keep going.

I don't believe there's a perfect solution to the dilemma. And if it does, it's not universal.

For me, what works is coupling ambitious goals with no expectations. This means focused and intense effort, followed by an acceptance and gratitude of what I get in return. I stopped worrying about things that are out of my control and learned to enjoy the journey.

If you want to drive long-term growth and satisfaction from your consulting practice, take some time today to journal about your expectations - they might be getting in your way.