Keep Your High Expectations. Just Don't Stop Checking Them.

You realize the expectations you carried back with you may not belong in this season.

High performers tend to have high expectations.

It's one of the reasons they make a big impact. They care. They take ownership. They hold themselves to a high standard.

That's not something I'd ever want to change.

I do think high expectations deserve a second look... especially after a break.

Whether it's summer, a vacation, parental leave, a big project, or simply a season where work looked different, re-entry has a way of making everything feel urgent again.

The inbox is full.

Meetings are back.

Projects are restarting.

And before you've even had a chance to think, your expectations are back too.

I should be caught up today.

I should respond to that.

I should already know my priorities.

I should be back in my rhythm.

The work has changed.

The season has changed.

Your expectations often haven't.

That's where I see stress creep back in. Not because there's suddenly too much work, but because we're holding ourselves to a set of expectations we haven't stopped to question.

One of the ideas I come back to often is this:

Stress happens when we hold onto unmet, unchecked expectations.

The expectations themselves aren't the problem.

Some reflect our values. Some help us produce excellent work. Some are exactly what make us high performers.

The problem is that we rarely stop to ask whether they still fit the reality we're working in.

Left unchecked, expectations compound.

Mentally, they become exhausting.

Behaviourally, they lead us to overfunction—to work harder, respond faster, and carry more than the situation actually requires.

Before trying to reduce your stress, take a second look at the expectations you're carrying.

You may find that the quickest way to create more space isn't doing less.

It's expecting differently.