Expectations are interesting things.
We tend to go into a new year expecting things to be better or worse, depending on numerous factors.
Let’s consider this a bit differently, though, because expectations can vary so widely from person to person, I wonder why?
In my experience, one of the hardest things to do in life is to change for the better. It is easy to fall into bad habits, but the real challenge is recognizing the need to change, making the appropriate change and then…we do not achieve our expectations.
We usually do not make the changes in our habits that will meet our expectations. Instead, we fall into the easy rhythm of doing what we have always done and expecting better results. It seems to me that a large part (maybe almost all) of our population is lying to themselves.
If 2018 did not deliver the results you want, what are you going to change for 2019? And, are the things you want to change really the things that will drive the results you want?
Most importantly, will you live the change? By that I mean, will you do the new actions well enough for long enough to meet your expectations? If we do not, then our only comfort will be in the delusion of unrealistic expectations fueled by the comfort of not actually growing into something better than before.
Albert Einstein often has a quote misattributed to him that goes something like, “Doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity.” Not sure who exactly put it together, but I am sure that it is a pithy way of highlighting that fact that we are all possessed by some level of insanity.
We want to lose weight but are still eating donuts every morning. We want more business but are not interacting with enough potential customers. We want a better relationship, but swipe left or right without engaging in long-term relationship development. We want to learn more but never open a book. We want, we want, we want…but what do we do?
Pick an expectation from 2018, just one, that you can influence or drive. It could be professional or personal. Now, do something different than you did before. Make that focused change a permanent fixture in your daily life for 2019. Then, you can expect something better because you will have earned it.
– John Light, Partner at Evolving Talent Group
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