Dreams, Goals & Expectations
Expectations should only ever be things that we can control 100%.
Ben Crowe
When it comes to dreaming, one of the most common pitfalls is the confusion between Dreams, Goals and Expectations. It’s not something we tend to learn in school, but understanding the difference between all 3 can be the stuff of… well, dreams 😅
Let’s break it down:
Dreams
Larger in scale, and typically more intangible or elusive in nature. They’re highly meaningful and emotional to us, often because they’re connected to a purpose or an act of service that is much bigger than ourselves.
Goals
Can be thought of as our more tangible targets or projects. They’re more specific and time bound and they can exist as standalone ideas, or as stepping stones on the way to a bigger vision.
Expectations
Put simply… These are the things that are 100% within our control. Because you can’t ever expect something you can’t control. The good news is, we have control over our mindset and our training (or preparation) in the process of chasing after dreams and goals… What we can’t do, however, is dictate the conditions or guarantee results.
So whilst it sounds counterintuitive, the way to have these 3 co-exist harmoniously in our lives is to put our dreams and goals out into the world without any expectation. Now, in putting this work into practise, which is always much easier said than done…
How can we start to separate our dreams and goals from expectations?
One way to get started is to flex that self-reflection muscle once again. We like to put pen to paper (or feet to pavement) around a simple framework:
Acknowledge — What expectations are showing up around my goals or dreams?
Accept — Can I really control this expectation? If not, can it be an expectation?
Action — What are the actions and priorities I can control that can help me work towards my dreams and goals?
And lastly don’t forget to appreciate just how far you have come. The power of dreaming is not about about what you dream, but simply that you do dream, no matter the outcome.
As Teddy Roosevelt once said “The credit belongs to the (hu)man who is actually in the arena… the (hu)man, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly”.
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