One of my favorite Seth Godin posts of all time (there are a few that share this title) is “The Paradox of Expectations”
Low expectations are often a self-fulfilling prophecy. We insulate ourselves from failure, don’t try as hard, brace for the worst and often get it.
High expectations, on the other hand, will inevitably lead to disappointment. Keep raising what you expect and sooner or later (probably sooner) it’s not going to happen. And we know that a good outcome that’s less than the great one we hoped for actually feels like failure.
Perhaps it’s worth considering no expectations. Intense effort followed by an acceptance of what you get in return. It doesn’t make good TV, but it’s a discipline that can turn you into a professional.
I love this post because it highlights something I need to learn. I am one of those who habitually falls prey to high expectations. When Seth published this post in September 2011, I remember shaking my head in disagreement. I didn’t even get it then! So, this post is representative of my own learning curve around expectations. I began seeing the wisdom in having no expectations last year but I’m still far away from getting there.
“Intense effort followed by an acceptance of what you get in return. It doesn’t make good TV, but it’s a discipline that can turn you into a professional.”
I am going to work hard on this. Thanks Seth.
A Learning a Day 