Our expectations powerfully impact what happens to us. If we believe something is going to help, hurt, suck, or be fun – our experience will probably fulfill that belief.
But it’s not only that we behave in ways that fulfill our expectations or that we interpret what happens through that lens. Although both of these things are true.
Our expectations actually determine our physiological responses to inputs like diet and exercise and stress.
Takeaways
When you are sure you will fail, you sure will!
Your expectations don’t just affect your perception and influence your behavior. They actually change how your body responds to the world.
Just because we expect to succeed, that doesn’t mean that success will come without any struggle or setbacks. But expecting eventual success can make us more resilient.
Lab Experiment
If there is something you want to achieve, look for other people who have been successful.
Resist the temptation to look for all the ways that they are different from you and instead look for the things you have in common.
Be especially attentive to the failures and setbacks that others experience on their way to success and study how they respond to them.
Dare to believe that success is possible, even if you’re not 100% sure how or when it will happen.
Send us an email, and tell us what you’re going to succeed at next.