L I FE L ESSON S
What Is a Realistic Expectation? Katherine Baylis
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If you set your reading goal for the new year at more than 30 books, I don’t believe you. I have friends who’ve set their 20 Reading Challenge Goal on Goodreads at 50, 70 or 10 books. In the case of one friend who set the goal at 120, I texted to inquire how, indeed, my friend intended to complete it. In some (admittedly niche) circles, it’s a competition to see who will set their goals the highest. But when November comes, there’s always a rush of people who readjust their goal down 20 or 30 books to something more realistic so they can actually meet their goals before the year closes.
a competitive edge, it’ s a challenge
I’ v e always thought the phrase “setting realistic expectations” sounded like a bit of a threat. To someone who has
which we did not achieve solely on our
but, alas, I am not such a person. In the business world, it tends to be a passive- a ggressive way of saying “don’ t bite off more than you can chew” but in general, it’ s not altogether a bad thing. Attainable goals, particularly smaller ones that lead to a larger goal, have long been hailed as the key to success. But when is it appropriate to set goals that are a little out of reach? While there may be some things that are well and truly out of reach— l ike, for example, me j o ining a professional women’ s basketball team— t he goals we grow the most from are those own, but rather by leaning on God’ s strength and trusting his provision.
