What was your last experience with something, or someone, exceeding expectations?
A wonderful gift may not be wrapped as you expect.
Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Chances are, you clearly recall the feelings you had. I wrote about this in my previous post, here. When expectations are exceeded, we actually experience a hit of dopamine, making us feel good.
We can harness the power of this physiological response to manage our expectations, and, if we combine it with a few key strategies, exceed our own personal goals.
6 Key Strategies
- Adopt an optimistic mindset, and expect progress, not perfection.
- Be specific. Outline what you must do on a daily basis to realize your desired results.
- Create contingencies. Predetermine when and where you’ll take action to avoid the traps of distractions and other competing commitments. The best tactic is “if/then” planning: If X happens, I will do Y.
- Determine how you’ll evaluate progress.
- Exercise your grit. Grit is the willingness to commit to long-term goals and endure in spite of difficulties.
- Fuel your willpower muscle. Rest helps you recover quickly and remain positive. Reinforce your willpower muscle by completing small tasks.
When facing disappointments, you may be tempted to dwell on unmet expectations, and even use them as an excuse to lower your expectations. But this will prevent you from reaching your goal. Instead, take control of negative emotions. Recognize the emotion, and allow yourself to experience it. Then, shift your focus to what you can control.
We have goals and we have excuses, some of which are true and valid. This is the hard part. It’s always helpful to work with an executive coach who can help you navigate your blind spots and develop greater self-awareness. Be sure to give yourself a pat on the back for being courageous enough to turn weaknesses into opportunities for growth.
Also recognize that putting your best foot forward means you’ll occasionally step in some mud. It’s up to you to decide which is more perilous: the risk of disappointment or the prospect of never reaching your potential.
What do you think? What are your strategies in exceeding expectations? I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me here, on LinkedIn, or give me a call: 561-582-6060.
