Expect the expected.

yes, you read that right!

Forget about ‘expecting the unexpected’ for a moment. I’m sure that’s useful and you should do it. But, what’s more important in my opinion, and what we often fail to do enough, is expecting the expected itself! Let me explain.

Did you ever go shopping on a Sunday evening, but got annoyed by the crowd and ‘snake-like’ long checkout lines? Did you ever get frustrated when you wanted to book a cab or make an urgent call, but found your phone out of charge? Did you ever search for something and you were irritated that you couldn’t find it straight away. Although you found it eventually, the next time you need it, you repeat the same drill again? Did you face these situations once or multiple times?

In all the above scenarios, you expected something but were disappointed when the reality didn’t turn out the way you hoped it would.

In all the above scenarios, you expected something, but were disappointed when the reality didn’t turn out the way you hoped it would.

But wait! Did you expect it right?

Chances are you didn’t. You didn’t expect the ‘expected’, you were just expecting a favorable outcome. Expecting only favorable outcomes is a path towards disappointment. But how do you know what to expect? I’m glad you asked!

You didn’t expect the ‘expected’, you were just expecting a favorable outcome.

It’s trial and error initially, but try this next time — When you get disappointed at something/someone, ask yourself — Is this an isolated incident? or do you see a pattern? And, when there is a pattern, you should set your expectations according to the pattern.

For example, next time you go shopping, expect crowd on Sunday evenings. That way, you can plan your shopping to avoid crowd.

If you regularly find your phone out of charge, chances are your phone depletes battery fast. Expect that next time. That way, you’ll carry a power bank or save up battery or perhaps get a phone with a better battery next time.

As for searching for something repeatedly and no luck of finding it straightaway, here’s a pro tip: when you eventually find it, put it back where you started searching for it. You’ll find it immediately next time ;)

The crux here is, tweaking your expectations according to what is expected, or what usually occurs. Some situations are bound to repeat themselves and anything that happens more than twice is a pattern.

The key for setting expectations right, and thereby reducing our disappointments, is by looking for such patterns. If you observe closely and retrospect, trust me on this — you’ll find patterns in things you could have never thought of!

I’ll write more about patterns (which I find absolutely fascinating) in my next blog!

Hey there! In case we’re meeting for the first time, I’m Lakhan. This blog is a canvas for my musings. If you found this article interesting, please check out more from my profile!

Until next time! Ciao!