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Expectations aren’t facts or reality. They are just beliefs or opinions that you or somebody else has, therefore it is totally normal for your expectations not to match someone else’s. 

One of the easiest ways to become disappointed, upset or angry – at yourself or someone else – is to fail to meet expectations. Whether in a personal or work environment, it is extremely important to ensure that you understand the expectations others have of you, and to make sure others are aware of your expectations. 

During this episode of The Juggle, Jo and Lucy talk about strategies to manage expectations in relation to yourself, your family and friends, your clients and your employer/colleagues. 

The key theme is – you guessed it – communication! 

Some of the strategies discussed include: 

• Working out what’s important to you and not setting expectations that are too high. 
• Concentrating on quality rather than quantity. 
• Sharing calendars and having family meetings to discuss the important matters for the week or month ahead. 
• Be honest and clear when communicating your needs. Don’t make assumptions. 
• Give yourself some wriggle room when setting deadlines to allow for unexpected changes. 
• Use email sign offs to ensure you communicate your availability. 
• Have contingency plans so that when things go wrong (as they often do!) you are still able to meet the expectations of you. 

We’d love to hear what you think. How do you manage expectations? Join our Facebook group, The Juggle Community, and share your tips with us.  If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and a star rating, it helps other people find out about our show.

To subscribe to our mailing list and be the first to know when a new episode is released, visit www.thejuggle.com.au.