November 30, 2006

Why High Hopes Are Not Enough

In This Issue:

Feature Article: "Why High Hopes Are Not Enough"

Quick Tips: "Top 10 Public Speaking Dos and Don'ts"

Fast Facts: "Reality is Perception"

* FEATURE ARTICLE *

“Why High Hopes Are Not Enough”

Until recently, I used to have “high hopes and low expectations” when it came to pursuing my goals.

I told myself to hope for the best, but not to expect it, so I wouldn't get disappointed.

Indeed, many of us are brought up to have low expectations so we won't get "disappointed".

Problem is, we often get disappointed anyway!

In any case, I recently realized that having "high hopes and low expectations" can be at best, silly, and at worst, quite self- defeating.

It can be self-defeating because merely hoping for the best, yet not expecting it, can often cause us to take certain actions - and avoid taking others - that lead to lesser outcomes.

Because we expect a lesser result (the result we expect as opposed to the result we hope for), we consciously and sub- consciously do things to bring about that result.

In other words, we bring about the outcome we expected, not the one we hoped for.

For example, an athlete who merely hopes, rather than expects, to win the gold medal, may train just a tiny bit less than they would otherwise. At some sub-conscious level they say, "Why go through all that extra pain when I'm not going to win anyway?"

Now, the difference between "silver medal" training and "gold medal" training may not be obvious to the average person, or even the athlete in question, but at some level they "program" their body to train a tad less based on what they expect, not on what they hope.

And what happens? Yep - the athlete gets the silver, not the gold.

Having high hopes and low expectations is also silly.

So what if we're disappointed if things don't pan out the way we wanted them too? Doesn't it make more sense to deal with the disappointment then, rather than anticipate it and feel bad now?

Instead of having high hopes and low expectations, I suggest we have high hopes and great expectations (to paraphrase Charles Dickens).

Or why not ditch the hopes and just have high or great expectations!

Expect the best and act accordingly... and you are much more likely to achieve the best.

And hey, if it doesn't work out, get disappointed then... not beforehand.

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* QUICK TIPS *

“Top 10 Public Speaking Dos and Don'ts”

DO speak about things you're familiar with.

DON'T speak about topics you don't understand or aren't interested in.

DO tailor your presentation to the interests of your audience.

DON'T use a canned presentation.

DO follow a structure.

DON'T read your speech.

DO be yourself and speak naturally.

DON'T be fake or put on an act.

DO use PowerPoint slides sparingly if you need to display something graphical or emphasize a point.

DON'T use a lot of PowerPoint slides. Ideally, no more than 10-12 for a 1-hour speech.

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* HIGHLY RECOMMENDED *

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* FAST FACTS *

“Reality is Perception”

According to a study by researchers at the University of Rochester in New York, when we look at something only 20 percent of what we see is based on reality.

80 percent is internally driven - based representations of the world previously perceived by our brains.

So at least 80 percent of "reality" is actually perception.

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