Hi! Expect
“What did you expect?”
We use this phrase most often as a code for “you should have known this would happen.” But lately I’ve been looking at that question a little differently.
Expectations are powerful. Expectations don’t just set us up for failure or success, they also control the story we tell ourselves about how it turned out. When we set expectations around what we actually can control, we create resilience.
In my family, I often say, “We don’t go anywhere to have a bad time!” I set the expectation that, no matter what happens TO us, we can find a way to laugh or help someone or enjoy ourselves in some way. So when the restaurant runs out food just as we sit down or the tire goes flat 40 miles from anywhere or every kid but one pukes everywhere (all real life examples), we have the expectation that it won’t be all bad. And guess what? It works.
Expectations are less about predicting an outcome and more about setting ourselves up for success no matter what the outcome.
Do you have any habits or sayings or practice setting yourself up for success in the face of change or challenge? Comment and tell me – I want to know!
All my best,
Dr. G
