Expectations - Day 2

I’ll never forget the moment I realized my best friend seemed to always be disappointed with new experiences. Whether it was going on a trip, taking a hike or snowboarding for the first time he ended up less than thrilled as we unpacked the adventure. Which was tough because you had to manage his energy and the people around you. I hated the disappointment for him, and it also usually brought down the morale for the rest of the group.

At first I thought he just had a negative mindset, but that didn’t add up because he brought so much positivity to my life. Not to mention holding the most infectious laugh you’ve ever heard!

This was going on for a while so I decided I needed to get to the bottom of things. I started debriefing with him (Secretly) after these trips or disappointments by asking questions.

I’d ask: “How was “X”?

And he’d usually answer along the lines: “Not as big in real life ” or “underwhelming”.

Then finally i followed up with: “What did you think it would be like?”

And this was the missing puzzle piece! EXPECTATIONS.

I soon found that his perception of many things he had never seen or done never were matched by reality. He had an incredible imagination and often set himself up for failure with his expectations.

And it wasn’t even the fact that the real life experience wasn’t as good. It just simply wasn’t what he anticipated.

Long story short we hatched out this conversation and it changed the trajectory of his life by being more intentional with his expectations.

In some cases he set none at all, others held a high standard (applying for a job, dating the right person) and others were low (the quality of food at the work cafeteria).

The truth is my friend ended up happier and was able to add more wonder and awe to his life through novelty. Allowing life the opportunity to surprise us can be so magical.

So remember the quality of your life has a lot to do with how you manage your expectations.