As we go about in life and tend to have new experiences and do new things, we encounter people and circumstances that naturally raise the expectations that we are used to meeting. New people and new circumstances require a new version of who we are and the new set of expectations always will need us to be ready to cope with the new level we are attaining in life. We are all well aware of the fact that life waits for no one. Each new day brings about a new challenge and with each next level the expectations that we have to fulfill changes or increase accordingly.
What is essential to understand is the idea that we will have to be flexible enough to make sure that we have the ability to meet those expectations. Please keep the fact in mind that expectations are of various kinds, but there are some basic ideas that you can keep in mind to be able to effectively deal with all kinds of expectations that you meet in life. Expectations are not necessarily bad, and there is really no reason to be afraid of having to expand your abilities in order to be able to deal with them. What you need to understand is the idea that there is no such thing that you cannot do if you wish to make it possible for yourself to do it.
On the other hand, we tend to have expectations from others and life at large. This entire concept of us having expectations from life and us having to meet the expectations that life throws at us, seems to be really challenging. We are constantly dealing with expectations that people have for us and the one that we have from others. Please keep the idea in mind that expectations are things that are formed because of the conditioning that we receive from our environment and our upbringing. They are also the product of the kind of life experiences that we go through, which is why it is so essential to making sure that we keep a check on them. There are instances when there are unnecessary expectations that we have from others and also times when the world seems to have a bunch of unnecessary expectations that we are told we need to follow. It really is up to us how we are going to make it possible for us to navigate our path through the kind of expectations that we are having from others and the kind of expectations we are looking at fulfilling.
It is necessary to keep in mind that if we wish to and need to, we will be able to manage expectations that we have from others and we will also be able to manage the expectations that the world has from us. Whether it is to do with personal relationships or to do with work-related expectations, there are certain things you can do to make sure that you can manage expectations effectively.
#1. Be Clear About The Things That You Are Expecting Or That Is Expected Of You
When it comes to expectations, it is really very important to keep the fact in mind that you will have to make sure that you are clearly aware of what is being expected of you. You will need to make it a point to gain clarity regarding all that some person or institution is expecting you to do. This makes it possible for us to do things accordingly or even negotiate what is doable for us and what is not. When we are not clear about what is being expected from us and blindly go about moving ahead, it can prove to be the cause of conflict and stress in our life. That is why clarity regarding what the expectations are and what among those are possible for you to fulfill are very essential. You will have to make it a point to make this clear at all times.
On the other hand, the same is true for all the things that you expect from others. It is essential for you to make it a point to be very clear about all the expectation that you have from other people or from institutions that you are associated with. Please keep the fact in mind that most of the time the misunderstandings and the challenges that are created because of expectations are because of the fact that we are not able to make it clear to others what we are expecting from them. While they are in the dark and not being able to figure out what is really going on in your mind, you end up misunderstanding them. This is why you need to be clear about what you are expecting them to do and make it clear so that there is no room for and assumption and for misunderstanding.
#2. Be Flexible With Them
The best way to manage expectations is to make sure that you are flexible with them and are ready to make it possible for the other person to do things that are possible for them and do not compel them to do things for your sake. There is a thin line between imposing things on people and being flexible to make it possible for them to deal with expectations. There is nothing wrong in expecting things from people who we love and have a deep connection, but at the same time, you will need to give them a choice to make the required decision according to their wishes.
At the same time, there is also the need for you to be able to make sure that you are flexible with the kind of expectations that people have for you. There are times when we need to make sure that if people are asking you to be flexible for doing things that are positive, then it is good to be open and willing to do all that they are expecting us to do because there is only good that can come from it.
In case you feel like you have to make it possible to go out of your way to do things to meet people’s expectations then it is essential to make it a point to draw the line and let them know the fact that you need your space. But, being stuck up in your mind and not being open to those expectations that will help you to expand is all that you will need to avoid.
#3. Make Sure They Are Realistic
An essential aspect to keep in mind is the fact that your expectations need to be realistic and at the same time achievable. This is the thing that most often makes it impossible for expectations to be reached. You need to keep the fact in mind that having expectations from people or life is not a bad thing, but having expectations that are just not attainable is really not something that can be encouraged. The best way to manage expectations that you have from people from your end is to make sure that you are expecting things that are attainable by people and are not over that top. It is very crucial to make sure that people understand the fact that expecting huge things from others are often the cause of all the misunderstandings and the unhappiness that we face in life.
If you are asked to do things that are not possible for you to attain, even when you make the best effort to do so, then you need to understand the fact that you are never required to meet those expectations that are not realistic. Just as you should not have them, you should also not make an effort fulfill them.
The other thing with expectations is the realization that we are not really in the world to make others happy and to expect others to do things for us to make us happy. The moment we realize that we will be able to deal better with expectation and be able to manage them better. It really is not about expecting things and seeking our satisfaction in them; it is about toning them down and being acceptable towards others.
Do let us know what your opinion is about the expectations you have from people and the expectations people have from you? How do you think this article is going to be helpful for you? Please comment in the box below.
26 Opinions
3 Opinions
Managing expectations can be one of the most essential things to do in life. It is true that we all have expectations from people around us and we need to make sure that all the expectations people have from us, we are able to meet them. But, somewhere between trying to fulfill people’s expectations and us having expectations from others is the ability to tone down our expectation and make it clear to people that we will make it a point to deal with those expectations only that are within our comfort zone.
What I have realized about expectations is the fact that there are some aspects to expectations that we all will need to understand, we need to manage expectations and make it a point to not get involved in them to such an extent that it becomes impossible for us to become considerate and live peacefully. Managing expectations is all about making an effort to make sure that we have realistic expectations from people in our life. It is not fair to make our expectations a burden on other people and make it impossible for our self to feel happy irrespective of all the things that are available to us.
We all need to understand the fact that it is not bad to have expectations from all the people who are close to us in our life and at the same time we also need to make sure that our expectations are not such that it becomes impossible for people to fulfill them. It is a thing that we do not tend to give too much importance to, but we all have to make sure that we are having attainable expectations in our life and they need to be such that they remain realistic.
You will have to make sure that you also keep the fact in mind that you do not have to push yourself to fulfill those expectations of all those people who do not matter to you and those that you are not able to naturally. There are times in our life when we have to be able to say no to all those things that we are not happy to do. When you feel like you have to go out of your way to accomplish something that is not worth it, you will have to make it a point to let people know the fact that you are not going to do something that is unreasonable because you will have to get out of your way for it. You will have to make it a point to understand that it is not about fulfilling the wishes of others and not about wanting other people to fulfill all those things that we want them to do for us. You will have to make it a point to keep your expectations subtle and also to make sure that you will have to speak up regarding others expectations from you, if you are not able to fulfill them.