Expectational Debt

Merlin Mann introduced this idea in his (relatively) new podcast, Back to Work and its a concept which, for me, hit a button. In a nut, it is the psychology burden one experiences from the expectations relating to one's outputs. These expectations can be real or perceived, from others or ourselves, they can seem minor in isolation but are cumulative in effect. The end result is that you carry around a great deal of ill-will, nearly all internal, due to the gap, again perceived or real, between those expectations and your output. I guess the key is to manage those expectations1 in such a way that minimises the debt. So, lets get those expectations out there...

Header image: Laura Balbarde (via Pexels)