Managing Expectations and Dealing with Frustration
BY: Neighbors’ Consejo|
In this intricate tapestry of life, expectations often weave their threads into our daily experiences, shaping our perceptions and molding our responses and character. We anticipate success, happiness, and fulfillment, yet the journey is rarely as smooth as we envision. It is in the gap between our expectations and reality that frustration often finds its home.
“Throughout my career, and life I guess, I’ve had high expectations of myself. Often this has been a good thing and has helped me achieve and experience things I will cherish all my life. However too often of late it has been a bad thing. The higher my expectations of myself the more I have come to expect myself to fail. This is demoralizing, robbing me of the satisfaction I should be enjoying when I do achieve something and replacing [1] it with chastisement for things I couldn’t quite get right.” — Alexander Kenmure.
This testimonial leads us to ask what is expectation? According to Cambridge Dictionary [2] , expectation is “live up to someone’s expectations”. The Merriam- Webster Dictionary [3] , states that it is “the act of state of expecting”. And, for Collins [4] , “are your strong hopes or beliefs that something will happen or that you will get something that you want.”
Dr. Christina Hibbert [5] recommends four simple steps for lowering expectations and obliterating frustration:
- Identify your expectations.
- Identify the reality of the current situation.
- Compare the expectation with reality.
- Either alter your expectations to match reality or alter reality to match your expectations.
It is important to know that “some expectations can be good and encourage you to overcome obstacles and chase your dreams. However, when your expectations are unrealistic, it can create friction, misunderstandings, frustration, and more. As an adult, you have the chance to look at your values and beliefs and decide if you have unrealistic expectations. If you do, that’s OK. There are things you can do to adjust your mindset and gain more happiness in life [6] .”
In conclusion, whether you are striving for personal growth, pursuing professional aspirations, or simply seeking a more harmonious life, understanding, and managing your expectations while managing frustration can be a transformative journey towards a more balanced and fulfilling existence.
[1]https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/personal-reflection-expectation-alexander-kenmure
[2]https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/expectation
[3]https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expectation
[4]https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/expectation
[5]https://www.drchristinahibbert.com/frustrations-and-expectations/
[6]https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/unrealistic-expectations