#487 The Joy of Less: The Anticipation Trap
Happiness Podcast
Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D.
4.4 • 920 Ratings
🗓️ 14 June 2024
⏱️ 15 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Joy of Less: The Anticipation Trap
Expectations are a double-edged sword. While they can motivate us to achieve our goals, they can also lead to disappointment and dissatisfaction if they are not met. Often, when our expectations are met, we merely feel like we've broken even, rather than exceeded anything. This is due to our tendency to adapt to new levels of pleasure or success, and the constant comparison we make to others.
However, by understanding the nature of expectations, setting realistic goals,and embracing a "good enough" mindset, we can free ourselves from the trap of constantly chasing after the next thing and find more contentment in the present moment. By managing expectations and focusing on the journey, not just the destination, we open ourselves up to the possibility of exceeding our own expectations and those of others, leading to even greater rewards and satisfaction.
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#thejoyofless #beyondexpectations #theanticipationtrap
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the happiness podcast. I'm Dr. Robert Puck. I'm going to |
| 0:07.0 | I'm Dr. Robert Puck. I'm going to share a few examples that you may not agree with. So first just hear me out, |
| 0:16.7 | listen to my examples, and then if you don't agree with me, I'll give you a very simple way |
| 0:20.9 | to either prove or disprove what I'm saying and then write in the comments |
| 0:25.0 | whether I'm right or wrong. |
| 0:27.0 | So here's what I'm proposing today. |
| 0:29.3 | I want you to think of something as a great accomplishment. Perhaps someone graduating from high school |
| 0:34.9 | and getting into the Ivy League school. |
| 0:37.0 | Perhaps someone in your neighborhood |
| 0:38.8 | who's done well and lives in a beautiful home, |
| 0:41.4 | perhaps not too far from you. Or maybe someone who's had really good |
| 0:44.8 | career success and you know they're doing well financially. So here's what I'm proposing. When they were |
| 0:51.2 | working towards these goals, they were excited, they were working towards these goals they were excited they were motivated and they really thought that once they reach these goals |
| 0:57.8 | In many ways all their dreams would be met and they would live happily ever after I know that's a bit of an exaggeration. But when it comes to |
| 1:06.6 | our expectations, we put a lot of emphasis on them and we expect them to pay off, that everything will be great when we finally get our |
| 1:16.0 | expectations we reach our goals. Let's start with a very simple example to |
| 1:20.8 | disabuse ourselves of disbelief belief. The expectations make our lives wonderful. |
| 1:26.4 | What I'm arguing is expectations. Unfortunately, we tend to only break even with them. We don't get much from meeting our expectations. |
| 1:35.0 | Think about our birthdays. When we're younger or even when we're older, |
| 1:39.0 | we get pretty excited about the presents we're going to get. |
| 1:42.0 | We have a lot of expectations |
| 1:43.6 | that life can be great when we get that present and then when we get it we're |
... |
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