low expectations

Every year, I choose a theme to hold for the year. I gave up a long time ago on New Year’s Resolutions. Sometimes it’s something I want more of in my life, sometimes it’s a grounding tool, and often it becomes a mantra I repeat during challenging times on my journey. For 2022, my theme has been “Low Expectations.”

I’m an expert at setting high, unreasonable expectations for myself, holidays, work, other people…you name it. These often unattainable expectations leave me feeling “not enough” and frustrated with my inability to achieve what was unachievable in the first place. When I told my partner this was my theme, he said “you’re not going to try?” I clarified that what I wanted to do was set reasonable expectations for myself and others. Instead of falling into the trap of perfectionism, I would try to do what was reasonable. Sometimes this has meant focusing on what’s minimal and required.

This journey of low expectations has revealed so much to me! It’s brought me more joy! Because I frequently come into events with low or no expectations, I’m pleasantly surprised with what results. Instead of setting sky high expectations of what I get done in a day, my to do list looks more like what is on the “must do” instead of the aspirational.

I’m still getting the things done I need to do, and still doing my best at what I attempt, but the shift in expectations has fundamentally changed something in the way I evaluate my self. This leans into one of the values of eCPR - that we are whole, just as we are. This means I’m working to detach my value from my doing, and shift it to my being. Low expectations has woven into this opportunity and has allowed me to find my value and worth in me, just as I am.

What do you need more of in the coming year? What would you like to release? Take a moment to reflect on what your theme could be, and what it could bring.