Managing expectations
As I've got older, I've come to realise more and more the importance of managing expectations. Of work/career goals and timelines. Of personal and professional relationships. Of sports teams. Of that new movie or piece of technology that's being released. Of government and political leaders. But most of all, of myself.
I'm not saying that the way forward is to low-ball everything and be satisfied with the bare minimum. Dream big! Be aspirational! Just be more forgiving of yourself and others when you perceive reality to disappoint. Try to reflect and reset rather than screw yourself up into an ever tighter ball of frustration and anxiety. Make sure everyone involved in a project/decision is on the same page from the outset and stays on the same page. Be open in your communications when you can, show empathy and some of your own vulnerability and hopefully others will respond in kind rather than perceive it as weakness.
Of course, I don't manage to achieve this all the time – however, that's OK too, and is sometimes a sign that I need to take a break, regroup or perhaps find some quick wins in other parts of my life.
I've been thinking about all this a little bit recently as having a six-week old baby is forcing me to re-evaluate expectations and priorities on a daily basis. Nothing new there in the scheme of the world but it's new to me!
I'm also managing my expectations of this blog. Sure, I'd like to be blogging every day, managing the “100 Days to Offload” challenge in 100 days but I'm still on target for 100 in 365. 24 posts now in 80 days gives me one in every 3.33. Roughly a couple of blogs per week on average. The metrics aren't really the point though. The cathartic experience of getting some of those thoughts out of my head is!
Enough pop psychology for now. Blog-on everyone and good luck managing your own expectations of this wonderful yet oftentimes frustrating world we live in!
Entry 24 of my participation in the “100 Days to Offload” challenge – find out more and join in!
2020-08-14 #100DaysToOffload #self #blogging