Dreams, Goals, and Expectations

I just returned from an annual retreat with a group of close entrepreneur friends (my EO forum). During the retreat, one of the entrepreneurs mentioned how they had always visualized themselves doing the things they are doing today. They had clear expectations.

I’ve recently been thinking about the difference between dreams, goals, and expectations.

I think we all understand the difference between dreams and goals. But I think we often don’t realize that we have underlying expectations too. For instance, most of us expect to do at least as well as our parents. Then we start anticipating how to do better through dreams or goals.

The things that are most likely to be achieved are those that we expect to happen. Mentally, they are non-negotiable.

Of course, to achieve things requires work and a smart approach. Labels like “dreams”, “goals”, or “expectations” do not really matter. As I’ve written before, it’s much more important to have good systems in place to make achievements possible. But confidence through well-placed expectations can be really powerful too.

What are your thoughts on the differences between dreams, goals, and expectations?

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