How to manage Expectations and Realities

Introduction

We always talk about being as productive as possible, but when day-to-day life kicks in, and you look back at the end of the day, it often wasn’t as productive as we hoped. Was it? No? It was? Then what an amazing feeling you must be having right now! I mean, you set yourself up for a productive day, had a calendar full of meetings, events, and more planned, and you managed to do just that—and maybe even more! You must be sitting down at the end of the day feeling ecstatic or content. That is a classic case of meeting or exceeding your expectations.

The previous scenario, on the other hand, was one where you didn’t meet the expectations you set. This is such an emotional roller coaster. On the one hand, you feel happy and great about yourself, while on the other, you may experience anxiety, depression, and conflicting emotions.

No matter where you are in life, I believe that you will always have to find a way to manage this. It’s not an easy task, for sure. But like anything, the first step is to accept where you are with this.

And here’s a critical point to remember: just because you fail to manage your expectations and realities in one aspect of your life doesn’t mean you’ll keep failing in every aspect. You will excel in certain areas.

What is Expectation?

This by definition is the feeling that good things are going to happen in the future or things are going to happen exactly the way you want them. It could be in many forms, such as living up to someone's expectations (external) or having high standards to achieve personal tasks (internal).

In my personal opinion, I think it is very important to have expectations for everything. Because I think that translates into the desire to achieve greatness. That's like setting yourself a goal.

Here is a great article by Newroad Counselling. This goes on to talk about how expectations are formed and what benefits lie with having them. In short, one's personality, upbringing, situations, and conditions shape your expectations.

What is Reality?

Every creature roaming this planet we call home has a limit that they can reach. Humans constantly, push our limits to the brink. But the main thing to remember here is that we have to know our limits and it differs from each individual. Every person is different. There will be many similarities, but never 100% perfect.

Essentially, the reality is the truth of everything. Reality is often contrasted with illusion, imagination, or perception, which can be influenced by individual perspectives or limited by human understanding. In philosophy, reality can be explored through various lenses, such as metaphysics, which examines the nature of existence, and epistemology, which studies the limits of human knowledge about what is real.

How to manage the expectations and realities in day-to-day life?

Managing expectations and realities in day-to-day life involves balancing what we hope or desire with the actual circumstances we face.

Set Realistic Expectations: Understand your limitations, resources, and the realities of your situation. Set goals that are challenging yet achievable to avoid unnecessary disappointment.

Stay Flexible: Life is unpredictable, and things don’t always go as planned. Being adaptable allows you to adjust your expectations when necessary without becoming discouraged.

Communicate Clearly: Whether in personal or professional relationships, clear communication of your expectations helps avoid misunderstandings and aligns them with others' realities.

Practice Mindfulness: Stay present and focused on the current moment. This helps you appreciate what is real rather than dwelling too much on what could or should be.

Prioritize Self-Awareness: Regularly reflect on your expectations and compare them with the reality you are experiencing. This helps in recognizing when expectations are unrealistic or need adjustment.

Manage Emotions: Understand that disappointment is a natural response when reality doesn’t meet expectations. Developing emotional resilience allows you to cope better with these situations.

Learn and Adapt: Use experiences where reality didn’t meet expectations as learning opportunities. Adjust future expectations based on these lessons to better align them with reality.

By applying these strategies, you can navigate the complexities of expectations and realities more effectively, leading to a more balanced and fulfilling life.