…The old reliable, that ageless, classic iPhone alarm bell going off. Your night table vibrating as if a certain type of toy was left in the open. Alas, it’s just your alarm…Rolling over like most of us, hitting snooze (once or twice), and slowly pulling ourselves out of that (hopefully, but all too often not) blissful night’s sleep.
Fresh and Ready to Start the Day!!! Probably not quite; if you’re on cloud-nine first thing (without a morning coffee, a slap in the face or a cold shower), how do you do it!?
Within a minute, no doubt, the scrolling begins…The notifications ping into digital reality, a meme or two for a light chuckle from that one ‘meme’ heavy friend. And least we forget those early rises, proudly showing their continuous fortitude with (pre ‘Circle of Life’ / ‘All The Light Touches’) workout or meditation sessions.
Then comes the moment most of us finally get out of bed for (or at least slip one foot out the covers) the standard ‘to-do list’ review. What new sweet arrivals does life admin & career progression bring to our mental doorstep.
With all potential wake-up routines aside, no matter your organisational habits (even disorganisation), the Outlook calendar, the Google calendar, the Mac calendar, the apps, the widgets, the fridge notes (probably still from when you first moved in realistically, “Don’t leave milk out”), to the self-reminders…
…No matter how much planning, cross-platform, or device syncing is done, how much time you allocate or carve out, ultimately, having unrealistic expectations is the greatest thing setting you up to fail.
Reversing that phrase is a far better approach and worth adopting – realistic expectations.
No one is saying not to dream, have ambitions, or give up on determination, motivation and enthusiasm. Rather, take stock of those loftier goals and drives, and create a plan or path that leads you to them. It is understanding the only actual pressure in achieving your goals is your own.
Now, at this point, you’re reading this and rolling your eyes (again)… go with it a little longer.
Given it is our ambition driving us with our wants, goals, and desires, we should be the only individuals to truly put weight behind the expectations we all have for ourselves. Getting caught up in life’s daily hustle and bustle is too easy. The older we get, the more spinning plates seem to materialise themselves in our lives, like being targeted and integrated into a comedic or theatric performance you thought you were there to enjoy, not become a recording highlight.
We are all human. No matter how much organising, and planning (or not), things can build into a snowball. This is where understanding and having realistic expectations is truly eye-opening. Adopting this approach could be the mental flexibility allowing you to ‘take a breath. It’s saying to yourself, “it’s okay if I don’t hit ‘x, y, z’, this week, month or year. But I will keep going and hit ‘x’ and maybe ‘y’ too.” Don’t be afraid to throw in a glass of wine or a break of some sort; life is for pleasure and needs to be appreciated too.
Essentially, it is about keeping yourself motivated and on the path to your goals and ambitions. Knowing and appreciating within yourself that it is okay to take more steps or different paths to get there. But, keep that motivation, one step, planned (or not), at a time, forward. Not setting yourself up to fail.
Try to be flexible with the pressures around you and life’s intensity & chaotic nature. You and only you know the true depths of your: stress, worries, emotions and ambitions, to list just a few. Don’t put yourself into a corner accidentally or allow others to do so. As long as you keep on, with your goals and ambitions spurring you onward, no criticism should deter you.
