Unconscious Expectations vs. Strategic Readiness: Navigating Career Twists and Turns

We all have conscious expectations. It’s very human and very common.?

When I worked for an employer I expected that if I showed up, and delivered the work I would get cash and benefits in exchange for the value I created.??

When I power on my Macbook, I expect it to function properly.?

When I ride the subway, I expect it to get me to my destination faster than a taxi.

All typical expectations and conscious expectations.?

But what happens when you have unconscious expectations?

What happens when you think you're prepared and then things don’t go as planned??

How do you handle the unexpected? The life on life’s terms events??

I recently did a two-and-a-half-week trip to Vietnam and Thailand. 8 flights. Over 60 hours of traveling around via planes, buses, and boats. A lot can go wrong.?

I’ve now traveled to over 57 countries. I’ve had my share of travel hilarity and drama.?

I was speaking with some of my travel companions and they shared that they had a lot of unconscious expectations for certain legs of the trip. They said they prided themselves on being calm and flexible only to find they were not in acceptance. And it was challenging for them to remain calm in the chaos.

They were chuckling at their behavior realizing that it would be nearly impossible to travel between two countries without a missed connection or mishap. And then they were so disappointed in themselves that they let the circumstances get the best of them.?

So why was it different for me??

Because I was prepared and ready.?

Prepared is action. Ready is a mindset.?

Before I left I spent some time thinking through the mindset I wanted to tap into throughout the trip. Flexible, open, calm, acceptance. And I prepared by having a plan B. And a plan C, D, and E.?

I was calm in the chaos. I wasn’t always this way.

Velocity of business, work deliverables, and client feedback could turn me into a duck on water. Gliding smoothly on the outside. Frantically paddling underneath.?

Hard to be frantic and think strategically.

My mindset and my education are the two greatest gifts that I have given myself. This is the work I do with my clients.?

Yes, you need to prepare, study, and practice the script. To be able to nail the opportunity and land the new business or the job.?

I help my clients get prepared. That’s the duh factor. It’s practice.?

However, when my clients also spend time in the ‘getting ready’ part of the work they have the most sustained success.?

Ready-ing your mind is how you navigate the setbacks, the lay-offs, the failed attempts, and death by a thousand paper cuts.?

Simple steps like thinking through your day in the morning, deciding who you want to be when stuff arises, estimating where you need to bring your A-Game, and then letting go of the outcomes you can't control are how you get ready.?

Readiness is also practicing acceptance.?

When I find someone or something unacceptable, it’s hard to be strategic and savvy.?It’s hard to find the plan B.?

This is based on evolutionary biology my friends. You can’t be IN the problem, arguing with it, not accepting it, and also finding the solution.?You have to accept it first.?

Let your primitive brain chill out and then your pre-frontal cortex, the thinking part of your brain, can jump in and direct the show.

It’s fight or flight. The zebra doesn't negotiate with the lion. It accepts that it needs to get da’fug out of there. Once the zebra escapes the lion, it can think what to do next.?

Sometimes it’s hard to see the progress you’ve made when you are judging yourself and in it.?

It’s hard to find the kindness for oneself. We are hard on ourselves. We 'should' all over ourselves.?

Today, I offer you to find a way to accept the circumstances before trying to change them. Ready your mind so you can find the strategic next step. And if you need help, I got you.?

If you are looking for ways to navigate your career strategically, I can help.?

Schedule with me? HERE