Great Expectations.

There are two types of expectations.  The ones you put on yourself and the ones that other people put on you.

Both can cause stress and give you the added pressure to perform.

To help you decide what needs to stay in your life and what you need to change, you need to ask yourself this question.

 

I’m not talking about responsibilities. We all have to be grown up enough to see those through.

I’m talking about something that when you’re doing it you stop and think to yourself, “How did I end up doing this?”

Expectations. People – pleaser raise your hand.

If like me, you struggle with the burden of being a people-pleaser it’s hard to not do what’s expected of you.

The thought of telling someone that you really don’t love something that you’re doing makes you break out in a cold sweat.

When I start to feel that way I think of Jesus. If He bowed down to everyone’s expectations, then He would have never gone to the cross.

He was always disappointing people.

Why?

Because He was focused on the one thing God told him to do and nobody’s expectations was going to stop Him from doing it.

And we need to do the same.

We can’t stop people’s expectations of us, but we can choose on whether we are going to listen to them.

Because the loudest voice isn’t always the one you should listen to.

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Expectations too high?

I have a really bad habit of getting easily distracted. I tell myself each day that I will get done what needs to get done. I put high expectations on myself and then feel disappointed when I haven’t fulfilled them.

And then what do you feel?

A BIG FAILURE.

That ‘F’ word that nags at your insides because you haven’t ticked everything off on your long ‘to do’ list.

I mean,

I start off really well.

Focus. Focus. Focus.

Then,

Shiny Tin Foil!

I’m like a Magpie. Seriously.

Everything seems to scream for your attention when you need to focus on something that will help you build a better future.

Thankfully, Jesus didn’t have ‘Magpie Syndrome.’

He faithfully lived out the purpose He was born to do.

When you clearly understand that God has a high purpose for your life, other people’s expectations will not seem so demanding.

And, more importantly, you aren’t afraid to stop doing the thing that’s expected of you.

And you’ll be a little kinder on yourself 🙂

Does that mean that you won’t struggle with people’s great expectations anymore?

Not at all.

It just every day you decide you’re going to do the purpose God created you for it gets a little easier.

Every little step towards your goal is a step in the right direction.

So don’t go beating yourself up when you haven’t achieved the expectations you have put on yourself.

Just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Be confident that He who began a good work in you will complete it. (Philippians 1:6)

So when you’re walking away from the people who are standing with their hands on their hips, holding that imaginary hoop of expectations that they expected you to jump through.

You’ll be secretly giving yourself a high-five!

Wendy xo