Expectations: The Sneaky Culprit

Let’s talk about expectations—those silent little scripts we write for ourselves, for others, for how life should unfold. Spoiler alert: they’re usually total BS.

We stack up expectations around how something should look, when it should happen, and who should show up—and then we’re completely crushed when it doesn’t go exactly as planned. I mean, seriously, can you remember the last time something played out exactly how you imagined? Because I can’t.

Here’s the hard truth: it’s our expectations that cause most of our suffering.

I’ve had so many moments where I knew how something was going to happen in my life or business. I had the timing all mapped out. I saw the outcome so clearly. And then… crickets. Cue the frustration, the spiral of doubt, the “maybe I’m on the wrong path” panic.

Sound familiar?

How often have you expected someone to react a certain way—and they totally didn’t? Maybe they ghosted, or just didn’t bring the energy you were hoping for. And then suddenly you’re spiraling not just about them, but about your worth, your message, your path, your everything.

And in business? Oh girl, don’t get me started. We expect that our offer will hit right away, that people will be lining up to buy, that this launch is the one. And when it doesn’t unfold as expected, we doubt ourselves, our pricing, our strategy. Ugh.

So here's the reframe I’m leaning into: What if we swapped expectations for intentions? 

Instead of trying to control the how, we set an intention for the feeling we want, the kind of people we want to attract, the way we want to show up. And then… we trust. We let go. We loosen the death grip and allow life to unfold in its divine, beautifully unpredictable way.

Take a moment and think back—hasn’t there been at least one time when things didn’t happen the way you expected, but turned out way better than you could’ve planned?

Same.

It’s wild how something we thought was wrong for us or felt like a total failure was actually rerouting us to exactly where we needed to go.

Let that land for a sec.

So here’s your invitation: Take a breath. Call in your intention—whether it's for your business, your relationships, your next big leap. Then, release the need to control how it’s going to unfold. You’re still going to show up, take aligned action, do the work—but you’re also going to leave space for magic.

Let’s play: What are three intentions you can set today—in business, family, self-care, relationships, or friendships?

Write them down. Speak them out loud. Then trust.

Oh—and a little universe wink for you: I went to a yoga class a while back and the instructor handed out oracle cards. (Y’all know I love me some signs from the Universe.) I tossed mine into my purse and forgot about it. Fast forward a couple months, I’m cleaning out my bag after listening to a podcast literally about expectations vs. intentions—and guess what the card said?

“Release your expectations and be open to surprise.” 

BOOM. Mic drop from the divine.

It’s not about letting go of your dreams—it’s about letting go of how they have to happen. Because sometimes, what’s meant for us is even better than we imagined.

And sometimes… it just takes a detour through a yoga studio and the bottom of your purse to figure that out. 😉

With love (and a little woo woo),

Kristen ~ Your Biz Bestie