Are you living up to expectations?

Expectations is a daunting word. Every day, we face not only other people’s expectations, but our own. We also face that grey zone of what we think other people expect of us.

How do you deal with all these expectations? Here are a few things that might help:

1. Communication. People don’t know what you expect unless you tell them. Communication works two ways – one way to clarify what other people expect is to ask them.

2. Honesty. If you know your limits, you can be honest. This will help other people form realistic expectations from the outset.

3. Ask questions. Check in with yourself – do you have expectations in this situation? What are they? Ask your team – what would a ‘win’ in this situation look like? What do you need from me to make this a win? At home, a simple question can avoid a lot of misunderstandings. Try “I heard you talking about X when we were getting ready the other day. What do you hope that I will be able to do to make it happen?”

4. Plan. Make sure you take the information you gain from asking questions and put it on your calendar. Be purposeful in follow through.

Then there is that nagging feeling that you get when you sense that you aren’t living up to other people’s expectations. It might be that someone is colder to you than usual, or that your numbers are down and people aren’t engaging.

How do you deal with expectations you live up to?

Pray

When communication lines with others are cloudy, keep your communication lines with God wide open.

Honesty

You are human. You won’t live up to all expectations all the time. Sometimes you just have to admit to yourself and others that you aren’t Superman. Even in the most controlled environment, humans will fail 3% of the time. This means in the pool of life, we are bound to mess up about 10% of the time – even when we are trying. The joy of it is that God knows you are human. He has factored in your mistakes. He is not surprised. When you can’t deliver, God is at work. He will use this opportunity to help you and those around you grow.

Give grace

When we are under pressure, we are tempted to put the pressure on those around us. Treat others with the same grace you hope to receive.

Celebrate

Sometimes, we fixate on what isn’t going right instead of celebrating what is.  The negative can overwhelm you, but you have a choice on what you focus on. Make sure you don’t let a negative in one area of your life overwhelm the areas that are working well.

God made you for a purpose. You are gifted and anointed to do what He called you to. Expectations can help you focus and catapult you to great things if you know how to handle them.