By Bryan Golden
How much you accomplish in life is influenced by what you expect to accomplish. Those with low expectations have a low threshold for what they will be satisfied with. For them mediocrity or less, is good enough. People with high expectations have a standard of excellence for themselves and what they want to achieve. They push themselves to accomplish challenging goals. They set the bar higher than may be comfortable.
Your expectations are the first step for programming your mind to work towards a particular goal. Your expectations determine what you will be satisfied with. Typically, your mind will not accomplish more than you expect.
What would happen to an athlete who expects to lose each race? Their training would never be at a winning level. They would not put much effort into preparation. They would not push themselves during a race. That’s why you won’t find competitive athletes who expect to lose.
What expectations do you have for yourself? What expectations do you have for the future? Your mind will only meet, not exceed your expectations. If you have low expectations, the best you can achieve are low results.
Let’s look at some examples of the negative impact of low expectations. An athlete who expects to lose has no chance of winning. A small business owner who expects to go bankrupt will not succeed. A teenager who expects that no one will like him or her will have a difficult time socializing. A performer who expects to deliver an awful performance will disappoint the audience.
Low expectations create a self-fulfilling prophecy. Since your mind strives to at best, meet the expectations you set, low expectations severely limit your achievements. Success demands high expectations.
Can you imagine an Olympic skier who expected to fall? Of course not. Such a mindset would make winning impossible. They would not be training to win. During the race, they would not be competing to win.
Would a person who is opening a new business expect to go bankrupt. Such an attitude virtually ensures bankruptcy sooner than later. If bankruptcy was a foregone conclusion in their mind, they would then make endless poor financial decisions.
A person who expects that no one likes them, or will like them, subconsciously acts in a manner which repels the people they come into contact with. Their behavior creates a self-fulfilling prophesy, which then reinforces their low expectations.
What would happen to an actress or actor who expected to give a terrible performance before going out on stage? Would they have any chance of delivering an award-winning presentation? Of course not. Their mind subconsciously limits their actions because of their low expectations.
Any low expectations you have for yourself also create a self-fulfilling prophesy. You bring about the same results you are expecting. This is the trap of low expectations. The only way to break free is by elevating your expectations.
Take some time to thoroughly and honestly assess the expectations you have for yourself and for your life. In order to make positive changes you must have high expectations. Don’t waste time formulating justifications for any low expectations.
Excuses for why you can’t, or won’t accomplish an objective, prevent you from doing so. These excuses program you mind with low expectations. “I’m not smart enough,” “I don’t know how,” “Nothing I do works,” or “I really don’t want that much,” are just some of the endless examples of low expectation excuses.
If you don’t already do so, start setting high expectations. Don’t accept mediocrity. Raise your own bar for what you want out of life.
Bryan is the author of "Dare to Live Without Limits." Contact Bryan at [email protected] or visit www.DareToLiveWithoutLimits.com Copyright 2025 Bryan Golden
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