Adjust Your Expectations

The other night, I had an unexpected idyllic night with my kids. My son Oliver helped me clean the grill - without me asking him to help - and then I grilled steaks for dinner. We all pitched in to clean up and then snuggled on the couch to watch The Swimmers movie. It’s a tough, but very inspirational story. I felt so grateful for my kids and our warm house on a chilly night. I went to bed feeling like I was winning at life. 

The next morning, I woke up my darlings and . . . they started fighting like cats and dogs over every dumb thing you can imagine. Who drank the last of the milk, who took too long in the bathroom, who hid the dang Elf that none of us believe is real anymore. 

None of that is abnormal and it’s not really a big deal. It’s just that my brain was still set on the expectation of “perfect family” from the night before. 

My expectation was:

My kids are all grown up now! They are so sweet to me and to each other! This morning will be easy-peasy. ☀️🌈

The reality was: 

My kids are 12 and 15. They fight with each other sometimes. I’ll do the regular amount of parenting/refereeing required to get out the door on time.  

Expectations vs. reality will get you, my friends. Next time you get mad at a situation or a person, check to see what you were expecting. Was that expectation realistic? 

When you think about the holidays, do you have a perfect vision of Christmas morning that will be ruined as soon as someone complains about not getting the gift they wanted? Will your perfectly planned New Year’s Eve party be ruined if one of the guests runs late? 

Think about the holidays, and think about your expectations. Remember that we create our own suffering when we create expectations that don’t match with reality. The more realistic you are, the more likely you are to enjoy the next couple of weeks. 

📨I challenge you to change/lower your expectations in one area of your life right now. Join my email list and reply back and tell me what you changed and I’ll enter you into this week’s drawing. which is the “All is Calm” box from BoxFox. (Boxfox is a super cool woman-owned gifting business. I basically want everything they sell!). You’ll also be entered to win the grand prize which is 3 coaching sessions with me, valued at $750! 

PS You know I’m all about positive thinking. Don’t think of lowering your expectations as negative. You’ll help your life be more positive when you expect less and appreciate what you already have. :) 

PPS Starting of 2023 with realistic expectations will change the outcome for your whole year. If you’re ready to learn more about 1 on 1 coaching, set up a free discovery call with me to chat.