We’re wired to expect the world to be brighter and more meaningful and more obviously interesting than it actually is. And when we realize that it isn’t, we start looking around for the real world. ― Lev Grossman, The Magicians

A recent New York Times article points out that the way we manage our expectations heavily influences our ability to experience happiness in life and work.

Several examples of medical interventions demonstrate how patient expectations can affect health outcomes.

We set expectations all the time: for ourselves, coworkers, family members, items we buy and even the movies we see. Our internal mindset relentlessly measures performance against our assumptions and expectations.

Expectations have a profound effect on our energy and drive. There are two variables in the equation: what we expect from others and what we expect from ourselves. How we view our experiences is critical to the way we pursue our goals and achieve success.

Happiness cannot be achieved without expectations, but our beliefs must be based on an achievable reality. Your daily happiness level can ultimately be measured by the number of expectations you meet.

This 870 word article provides thought provoking information on how we manage our expectations and why it’s so important to success and happiness.

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This is a brief synopsis of an 870-word article and Article Nuggets,* suitable for coach newsletters and blog posts. It is available for purchase with full reprint rights, which means you may put your name on it and use it in your newsletters, blogs or other marketing materials. You may also modify it and add your personal experiences and perspectives.

The full article talks about:

• When to Let Go of Expectations
• What Happens in the Brain
• Expectations: What You Can Change
• Recognize Progress

If you are a Content for Coaches client and your account is current, no need to order. Send me an email to confirm that you wish to use this article and/or Article Nuggets for your next newsletter.

All others please use the order links below.

Order Links to purchase this article:

1.   The Expectation Gap – 870-word Article with Full Reprint Rights, $57 –

2.   The Expectation Gap – 3 Article Nuggets* with Full Reprint Rights, $64 –

*Article Nuggets: The same article broken up into 3 blog-style sections suitable for a series of blog posts or shorter newsletter articles, with links and personal pronoun “I.”

It doesn’t matter whether your goal is to lose 5 or 50 pounds, quit smoking or stop drinking. New Year’s resolutions and other goals are hard to keep beyond the first month. Change is hard.

Why? Because the brain is tricky. No matter how sincerely we want to break a habit, we have an inherent immunity to change.

This means we’re physiologically “lured” into doing what we’ve always done, no matter how strong our intentions. And yet, some people do succeed. We all know ex-smokers, ex-drinkers and former fatties.

You cannot fix an adaptive problem with a technical solution. A diet, for example, is a technical solution to being overweight: To lose weight, eat less and exercise more. But the problem is much more complex. Unless you change your mindset (an adaptive solution), you won’t sustain new habits.

Einstein said that how you formulate a problem is just as critical as how you solve it. One of the biggest mistakes goal-setters make is applying a technical solution to an adaptive problem. It doesn’t matter how much you change what you do. If you don’t shift the way you think, you’ll revert to doing things as you’ve always done them.

This is a brief synopsis of an 825-word article and Article Nuggets* suitable for consultants’ newsletters for executives and leaders in organizations. It is available for purchase with full reprint rights, which means you may put your name on it and use it in your newsletters, blogs or other marketing materials. You may also modify it and add your personal experiences and perspectives.

If you are a Content for Coaches client and your account is current, no need to order. Send me an email to confirm that you wish to use this article for your next newsletter.

All others please use the order links below.

Order Links to purchase this article:

1.    Competing Commitments, 825-word Article with Full Reprint Rights, $57 –

2.   Competing Commitments 3 Article Nuggets* with Full Reprint Rights,  $64 –

*Article Nuggets: The same article broken up into 3 blog-style sections suitable for a series of blog posts or shorter newsletter articles.