One of the biggest mistakes we can make is to have high expectations of other people. Simply put, we expect people to think or act like us in a given situation,  but wind up disappointed when it doesn't pan out. This can lead us to put our thinking caps on and probe into the possible reasons why this individual failed to live up to our expectations. We can drive ourselves batty doing this! I'm here to give you a tip you should always keep in mind -- one that will serve you well in life, whether you're dealing with your boss, friends, or partner: Instead of expecting people to keep their word and come through for you all the time, expect them to let you down instead.  That way, when they do deliver as promised, you'll be pleasantly promised. When they don't, well, it isn't like it'll catch you by surprise, right? This is my own strategy for preemptively priming myself for the worst-case scenario. People who do this are what you'd call proactive ...

Have you noticed that the more we look forward to something, the more disappointed we can be once we're experiencing it? For example, we spend the entire work week yearning for Friday to come. Once Friday evening arrives, the weekend goes by in a snap, and you hardly get to enjoy it because of all the things you have to do (kids, groceries, laundry, etc). Here are some other examples: Looking forward to eating at a specific restaurant but not liking the food, service, or ambiance once there Looking forward to meeting a blind date and winding up disappointed Longing to buy a product -- whether it's a car or cell phone -- and not enjoying it like you'd anticipated once it's in your possession Dying to finish college so you can enter the real world, yet once you're in that real world, you wish you could go back to college Having high hopes at a new job, only to be left disappointed once you realize the job isn't what you had in mind Thinking someone you...

How many times have you expected for your friend or partner to act a certain way, but he or she fails to deliver? I'm sure you've lost count, and so have I. As much as can urge someone to act a certain way (or differently than the norm), old habits die hard. It isn't easy for a messy person to become tidy, a lazy individual to become driven and self-motivated, or a procrastinator to become punctual. I have found that when I expect too much of someone -- when I set that bar a wee bit too high -- they end up disappointing me. If you're like me, you have a tendency to give people second, even third, chances. But as the saying goes: "Fool me once -- shame on you. Fool me twice -- shame on me." When it's close friends and spouses who are the offenders, we continually give them free passes, because, after all, we care about them. So you have to determine the following: Are you being unreasonable in your expectations, or has the person become so accustome...