Dealing with the Unexpected

DEALING WITH THE UNEXPECTED

Each of us have expectations, things we want to achieve in our lives. Some of us even have a written down plan of when to achieve something, the level of achievement we want and in what manner we want it. But what happens when your expectation becomes unexpected? I am not talking about exceeding your expectation but not reaching it or falling short of your goal on multiple occasions. Do you just give up? No, you adapt to your environment, and make the most out of what you have been dealt with.

I went to college, with the intention of becoming a doctor, but it never happened for me. For three years, I pushed ahead, thinking that things will change. I failed for two reasons: my heart was never in it and I never committed to it. Eventually I chose what I was passionate about, and was good at. It does not mean also, that choosing something you are good at will be rewarded with your expectation.

Let’s say you write an exam or a quiz, and your instructor writes excellent. Now, excellent denotes exceeding expectation, so you expect to be rewarded with an A, but instead you are rewarded with a B. Does that mean you did not do well? No. It just means you might not always get what you expected in the place you expected it from. It also means not every environment you find yourself will give you similar results.

You can deal with the unexpected by developing a mindset to pursue your goal, develop the skill set and knowledge, because you might not always have someone to teach you or tell you what to do, but if you develop a foundation for everything you do, you will always find a way to reach your goal even if your results are not what you expected. Situations change, but expectations do not. You have to adjust to measure up to the demands of your environment, because even if you do not achieve what you set out for, it does not mean it will never happen for you. As much as you might have to deal with the unexpected, look out for it, it will help you be better prepared for it, knowing that things shall not always be the same.