So last night I had a ladies night with 4 of my good friends. We tore up the dance floor and sang to Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, and Justin Bieber. Needless to say we had an "in" with the DJ otherwise we probably wouldn't have walked away successfully with our song choices. But come on, who doesn't love classics? You are probably figuring out where this is going...hangovers. You happen to be right, but not the typical hangover. In my first blog I mentioned an expectation hangover. Let me tell you right now, these suck!
I was talking to one of my good friends about change the other day. Change isn't usually something that most people enjoy, but sometimes when you have an onset of an expectation hangover you need to accept that change is necessary.
Unfortunately, expectation hangovers can last for days, weeks, and even months because time is no cure-instead, it just hands us more expectations. You are not alone. 80% of people that have read the 20 something manifesto reported suffering from an expectation hangover. The majority of disappointment stems from career, relationship, and money issues. But how do we deal with these hangovers?
Let me remind you of one thing which happens to be very important. This is your life. You choose the paths that you take, you choose the direction you want your life to go in, and most importantly, you have the power to change your life. The life that you are living right now is not a dress rehearsal. You don't get to hit the rewind button (although I sometimes wish that was possible) and change what has already happened. If you want to be happier, more focused, and more decisive-you have that choice. The key to overcoming expectation hangovers is to change the way you respond to hangovers and eventually free yourself from expectations. To move away from expectations, practice creating specific short-term goals and eliminate the expectations that are creating pressure or confusion in your life.
I can think of many instances in my life where I feel that I have failed and am regretful. The thing that you have to remember in these types of situations is to stop feeling regretful and start feeling more positive. Over the years I have become a much more optimistic person. What is the point of beating yourself up over something that can't be changed. If you fall down, get your booty back up and try again. There is no such thing as "I can't," it is either "I won't," or "I don't want to."The present is the result of the past, not a predictor of the future so redirect your focus to all the things you have done and you do have. Live in the moment, focus on your own short-term goals, and trust that life does have a way of working itself out. Life is short so let go of expectations and be happy with who you are and what you have. If you feel that you have taken the road to Doomsville, dont panic! You have the ability to find your way out of town.
You are the one who has to live your life, so pick what you think fits you, and always remember, nothing is written in stone.
