Managing the Weight of Expectations

Every client I’ve ever sat with says the same thing: “I just need to handle pressure better.” But here’s what I tell them in session one — most of that pressure isn’t in the moment. It’s in the backpack of expectations you dragged in with you.

You built those expectations to stay sharp, to stay accountable. But somewhere along the line, they started owning you.

“I’ve put in the work, so I should win.”

“I’ve practiced, so I should play clean.”

“This is who I am, so I should perform.”

Expectations don’t owe you anything. They’re just the bar you set. And bars don’t score points — they only matter if you clear them today.

When Expectation Turns into Entitlement

I see it all too often. A quarterback who’s supposed to throw for 300 yards begins to struggle reading the defense effectively. An entrepreneur who’s supposed to close their funding cycle stops listening to their advisors’ feedback.

The second you believe the result is owed, you stop doing the things that earn it. You stop competing, you stop adjusting, you stop learning.

Instead of playing the field in front of you, you’re defending a story about what you think you deserve. That’s how expectations kill you — not with weight, but with arrogance.

Carrying What’s Yours

You can’t haul everyone’s luggage. Some bags are yours — your standard, your reps, your prep. The rest are just other people’s projections.

Try to carry them all and you’ll be too busy balancing to move. When that happens, you’re not in the game anymore. You’re in your head, replaying what should happen instead of seeing what’s right in front of you.

Lose that presence, and you’ve already lost your edge.

Earn It Daily

The outliers I work with don’t treat expectations like IOUs. They treat them like notes to themselves: This is what I value. This is how I prepare. This is what it takes to earn it tomorrow.

That’s how you carry the weight without letting it carry you. Not by making it lighter — by making it yours. You showed up today. Now go earn tomorrow like it’s the first time.