A recurrent theme in my work is how clients try to deal with their expectations.

Some will have high expectations of themselves, others state that they have no expectations, and yet others are vague about their expectations, seeking to benefit from whatever the journey will bring.

A simple definition of expectations is the individual’s perception of what the future will bring.

In essence, an expectation is an effort to control or predict the future.

The chosen approach to expectations thus offers a perspective on how that person tries to deal with the future once it is there. Having high expectations thus can be the desire to pull oneself forward. Seeking to benefit from whatever the journey brings is either the assumption that something good will happen or the effort to avoid the deception that one’s hopes are not fulfilled.

Instead of deciding to accept whatever the outcome of the situation or their action is, they try to transform the future so that their expectations can be met.

What this also describes is that the person identifies with their expectations. And in doing so, they want the outcome to correspond to their expectations.

However, the task isn’t to find the best definition of one’s expectations. It is to develop the ability to accept the outcome.