Like anything you want or try out for the first time, setting your expectations might help you stave off any disappointment in the future. It’s not like you have to lower the bar or anything, to get what you want. But realizing that you may not always get what you want WHEN you want it does not mean you should stop trying or shut down. Your career life much like your personal life will be filled with ups and downs and a few sideways. Just because the path to your corner office is not paved in money and big titles, should not deter you to give up on your dream.
Setting your job expectations means you need to know what you will do for yourself and not what you are expecting others to do for you. It was nice when you lived at home and could expect your laundry to be neatly folded and your meals waiting for you on the table. If you think your job will hold that level of comfort and security think again. You don’t need to struggle in order to get ahead, but you do need to be realistic about what you can expect from others if you are not realistic about what you can set for yourself.
Having a good foundation helps you to manage your goals and makes it easier for you to become less disappointed if opportunities don’t always present themselves in the way you might expect. Your grandparents did not decide to hop back on the boat that brought them to this country just because it was too hard or they were not able to survive. You might not have the same struggles as your grandparents but throwing the towel in before you have even tried is not the right answer either. Making your way may pose its own set of challenges then wondering whether you are going to have running hot and cold water. You might not like where you work or who you work for but like your ancestors, you have to look at where you are at this moment as an opportunity for something better and nothing more.
When it comes to setting your expectations of what you want in your job here are a few things you should keep in mind before you start blaming the world:
- Don’t expect everyone to love you-it’s never really that easy.
- Stop judging yourself and others based on what you can and can’t do.
- No one cares if you are popular or not. It’s not about liking you but respecting you.
- Don’t rely on anyone else to tell you how to do your job or get ahead.
- Stop trying to impress the boss or your co-workers.
- If you don’t like what you do chances are you won’t be any good at it.
- Climbing the career ladder does not mean you get to step on everyone else.
- Looking for a role model is a gift not a right of passage.
- Don’t hate your boss just because you are assigned to do something you don’t like. Suck it up and learn.
- There are no free rides, learn to figure it out and be grateful for every little thing that is offered to you-as your grandma would say, “It’s an opportunity!”
Setting realistic expectations means you have to rely on yourself more than you expect others to deliver for you. If you learn to deliver for yourself the rest will follow.
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