The Problem of Expectations that Are Not Achieved
Working with clients can be emotionally draining, especially when we can’t meet their expectations despite our best efforts. Even though we know some things are beyond our control, we often blame ourselves when we fall short of our performance goals.
The above, in particular, is the experience I recently underwent with a freelancing job and I was reminded of my friend Gloria: “Just do your due diligence and leave the rest to the universe.” It really was not clear to me because I used to depend on strategic approaches that always bear fruits, but one more disappointment was hard.
Words from Friends
Interestingly, it wasn’t Gloria only as it also happened that Jojo with whom I shared another conversation made almost the same remarks: “Do your work and whatever the results are that is no longer your business.” Hearing the same thing for the second time, one could think that universe is trying to send a message that almost everything happens by virtue. Be that we like it or not.
So where do we go from here, how can we reduce the sense of shame when we don’t achieve successful outcomes.
Trust that everything is destined to happen for a reason. One either earns from the experience or learns from it. Both are useful.
Embrace the idea that it is normal for things to change. What may have been efficient in the past may not hold up today. Let the obstacles be the motivation that drives innovation, knowledge expansion, and growth.
Understand that it is not necessary for everyone to like you. It is normal to have preferences, which is how people are wired. That kind of variance is what makes the world a great place.
Final Thoughts:
Life is a beautiful mess, and it never goes as per the script. There are times when, regardless of anything else, things just do not click. Certainly, this is where the idea of trying to the best of one’s capabilities and not feeling anxious about the outcome can help us the most.
It is not about overcoming every ending but rather about not being worried about every step and believing that everything will eventually fall into place.