Expectation: a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future.
We have a lot of emotion tied into our expectations so it makes sense they are hard to let go of when circumstances change and they are left unfulfilled. Often we continue to try and put the square peg into the round hole and are left angry, anxious and defeated when it doesn't workout.
If you feel like your expectations are holding you back from moving forward, the exercise below was designed to help you reset your mindset.
"My expectations for this year were to________. It now looks like it won't be possible because of _______.Accomplishing this this year was important to me because __________. I may not be able to _________ but knowing what I do now I can __________ which is important to me because __________."
To give a little more context I have included one of my biggest unmet expectations for the year.
"My expectations for this year were to have my friends and family come visit us in Norway. It now looks like it won't be possible because of the limits on foreign travel due to COVID-19. Accomplishing this this year was important to me because I wanted to share my experience with loved ones and I miss them. I may not be able to see them in person but knowing what I do now I can schedule more video calls and take videos and photos of the experience to share with them which is important to me because I want to stay connected and share the experience."
Reminding yourself why your goals/expectations are important in the first place helps you stay connected to your WHY no matter what the circumstances and expectations are.
Letting go of expectations isn't easy or fun and to be totally honest can really suck. But we can either sit in the suckiness and sadness of it or stay focused on why it was important and choose to move forward with option B. What's it for you?
