Ever had the feeling where you expected to achieve something so intensely and you actually achieved it? Or are you able to count the times when you expected and hoped that your dreams, aspirations, desires and goals will turn out the way you imagined and they actually did? Expectation is a powerful tool and it can and will go a long way in shaping your life and your future.

In order to constructively and effectively shape the best for your life, you must first and foremost expect the best from yourself. You have to insist, nay, demand that you give a hundred and one percent (or more) in everything that you do to produce the best and successful results. Think of ways on how you can expect to churn out the most practical, useful skills and knowledge from yourself. Then ask yourself how you can expect to apply the most effective efforts and actions to obtain your success. You must make it a point not to falter, default or slacken in your tasks and actions. Treat procrastination like a bad flu - you know you have to find ways to overcome procrastination or it will halt your success, just like how a bad flu will weaken your body if not cured. Always remember that when you can afford to give your best, do not think for a moment that you can give your worst.

In fact, the subject of love is a very relevant example to illustrate how expecting the best from yourself can effectively shape your life. When you expect a boy/girl to notice you and eventually fall for you, will you take the appropriate steps like looking good, approaching him/her, complimenting him/her, getting him/her romantic gifts, etc, or will you just look your worst, sit back, relax, do nothing and expect him/her to magically fall heads over heels in love with you?

You do not live in this world alone. So, to achieve even greater success, you must not just expect the best from yourself, rather, you must also expect the people around you to give their best. You must be able to influence them with your words, your thoughts, and your actions, leading by example that they may emulate you and assist you in producing quality work and achieving positive results for your life and theirs.

Your parents are probably the most suitable example to demonstrate the truth of what I had just mentioned above. There was probably a time when your parents expected you to eat your vegetables, not just a piece of broccoli, but all your vegetables. They might have told you why you should eat your vegetables - because they are good for you - and they led by example by doing what they expected their child to do. This would have probably instilled in you the importance of eating vegetables and you subsequently started eating vegetables. In some ways too, you have actually subconsciously assisted your parents in achieving their goal of getting you to eat your vegetables.

So the next time you embark on improving your life or obtaining a certain goal, tell yourself that you must expect nothing short of the best from yourself and the people around you so as to make that improvement or goal a reality.