Most people go about their day to day life thinking they are acting upon what they **want**, but in reality, they are letting their **expectations** dictate their everyday actions and therefore their lives.. 

Let's break down the importance of recognizing the difference between these two so we can a) understand *why* we aren't getting what we **want** so we can b) figure out *how* to hack our **expectations** to live the lives we truly desire.

https://chantellglenville.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/shutterstock_479881777.jpg
[src](https://chantellglenville.com/the-problem-of-expectations/)

There's a famous quote by **Henry Ford** that goes:
>"*Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.*"

There is a lot of wisdom behind this, and it all has to do with how our primordial minds have evolved to keep us alive. 6000+ years ago it was in our ancestors best interest to use our *sapien* brain to map past events and create a prediction for the future. This allowed us to anticipate migratory paths of animals for optimal hunting, as well as seasonal weather patterns for Agrarian advantages. The ability to learn and predict helped keep us safe from predators and allowed us to pass on vital knowledge that propelled our progression of towards civilization.

In a word, it was a vital human function to our survival and one that's now deeply embedded in our psyche (alongside *fight-or-flight*) However, just like our *fight-or-flight* mode has become more of a curse than a blessing in the rapid development of the modern world, so to do we find our *expectant minds* often keep us at a disadvantage when it comes to living the life we **_desire_**

![Screenshot (197).png](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmcFd2h9ZbtkVfYaTmAwfUDYYH7pFiLXiyQtLncKz1sc3N/Screenshot%20(197).png)[src](https://youtu.be/FwLeiY5f7sI)

To bridge the gap between **Expectations** and **Wants** let's first understand how the system in our brain operates, and then how to hack it..

* As established, our brain is constantly predicting what we think is most likely to happen, which creates a state of *anticipation*.

* **Anticipation** causes us to feel and act in certain ways in order to *prepare* for what we *think* will happen.

* When we **prepare** for something that *hasn't happened yet*, we actually participate in shaping how that event will unfold, thus creating a **_Self-Fulfilling Prophecy_** cycle.

Basically, when you *act on* what you **expect** rather than what you **want**, *you'll get what you expect*.. 

If you *want* to win the lottery, but don't buy a ticket because you don't *expect* to win.. guess what.. *there's no way you're going to win*.  

Or more practically, if you fret and worry that your blind date is going to go wrong because all of your past experiences has told your brain that this is what's most likely to happen.. your *expectations* are going to cause you to*act* in a way that will *result* in a bad blind date.. even if you *want* it to be otherwise. 

https://imagesvc.meredithcorp.io/v3/mm/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn-img.health.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Fmedium_16_9%2Fpublic%2Fstyles%2Fmain%2Fpublic%2F149320869.jpg%3Fitok%3DXxcHxQLU&q=85
[src](https://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20646990,00.html)

*continued...[here](https://steemit.com/life/@striderpunk/expectations-vs-wants-pt-2)*