Do you live up to your own expectations?

Welcome to motivational Saturday’s. This is were we take a break from finance to motivate and inspire. Enjoy!

There is only one success – to be able to spend your life in your own way.- Christopher Morley

Your expectations for yourself, do you know what they are? Do you have expectations about where you will be in five years? Are they really your expectations, or are you trying to live up to the expectations of others? It can be hard to tell because in many cases the expectations of others become your own.

When you are young, many people have many expectations for you. Your teachers will expect that you try hard to understand what they are teaching, that you study, and that you turn in your homework. Your parents will expect that you succeed in all things that you do. They will want you to do well in sports, music, and school. Even if you are not particularly good at something, your parents will expect that you attend practice, have a good attitude, and try your hardest.

As you age, your parents might have even greater expectations. They might want you to go into the family business or maybe they want you to be a lawyer or a doctor. The problem that might arise from these expectations occurs when you do not want the same things as your parents or others do. Most people butt heads with their parents and mentors when they enter their teenage years. This happens as a teen starts to really develop his or her sense of self.

At this age, you start thinking about what you want to do with your life, and you start forming goals and plans to achieve your goals. Sometimes it can be hard to determine what you actually want, but you should take some time to seriously consider it. Once you know what you want, you can pursue your dreams. Many people who don’t take the time to figure out what they want end up being unhappy with their jobs and their lives. If you let someone talk you into pursuing a goal, you might not really enjoy having to pursue it or having to live with the consequences of it.

For example, your parents cajole you into becoming a doctor. This is fine if this is what you really want, but if it isn’t what you want, you might become bitter after years of school and expense. The people I know who were forced into the “family” profession often burned out or were not willing to put in the time required to be successful. These people continued to pursue a certain degree or profession even when they realized it isn’t what they wanted to do simply because they wanted to be successful in their parent’s eyes. Success, however, is not measured by how much money you make because money truly does not buy you happiness.

Your profession doesn’t measure success either! Success in life comes from being able to live your life in your own way. For example, maybe you want to open a plant nursery because you love to garden. This might not be the best way to make millions, but if it is what you want it will make you happy.

Answer these questions for me in the comments.

Do you know what you want in your life?

Do you know what makes you happy?

What will you do to pursue your own way of life?

Will you start today?