Expectations. We all have them. And in my opinion, the expectations I place on myself rob me of living in the present moment and acknowledging all that is available to me.

Because without expectations, a whole new world opens up. One where everything is a simple surprise and joy.

It’s kind of like living as a dog–you wake up, excited to eat, excited to go on your walk, excited when your owner comes home, excited to play, excited to eat again, excited to go on another walk. Everything is new and exciting, and the simple things in life are so enjoyable because there’s no other version in your mind of how things “should” be.

Now, what it if you could go into a new year without any expectations for your financial life?

The thing about a new year is that it always brings an extra layer of focus to our goals.

Everyone sets their New Year’s Resolutions in hopes that this year will be different. That this year will finally be the year they get in shape, get their finances in order and live a happy life.

But with all the extra hype comes extra pressure–pressure to make it all perfect. I see this time and time again when it comes to our finances.

Clients come to me and one of the first things they want to know is, “Am I where I am supposed to be by now?” They have an expectation about where they “should be,” and so they constantly search for outside validation.

It’s understandable–but think about how much more free they’d feel without that expectation.

So what if, instead of expectations, you decide to live this year with intention. Intention to wake up everyday and feel grateful for the money you do have, and the goals you’ve already reached in your financial life.

Maybe buying a home, getting that dream job, starting your business or even retiring have already come true for you–so how great would it be to connect with those accomplishments first?

Then everything else that comes your way this year can be icing on the cake.

We have a lot of exciting things happening at Financially Wise Women in 2017, and while I do have visions of this this year being grand, I’m also very excited to drop all my expectations and dive all-in with the intention of having as much fun as possible and feeling gratitude for all that I have already achieved in my personal financial life and business.

I hope you can join me in living from a place of intention vs. expectation about our financial lives this year. It’s different than what most of us set out to do, but we can all help each other and perhaps even inspire others to live this way as well.

So tell me: What expectations do you want to let go of this year?

The above blog is by Brittney Castro originally published in Brittney Castro’s Blog – Financially Wise Women.

About the author: Brittney Castro, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ is the Founder and CEO of Financially Wise Women, a Los Angeles based financial planning firm for women. She specializes in working with busy professional and entrepreneurial women who are passionate about life and want to gain clarity around their money. Brittney’s mission is to help women plan and create the life of their dreams, free from anxiety about money. She is known for her non-judgmental, compassionate approach to financial planning. She has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Financial Planning Magazine, Investment News, and Registered Rep Magazine. Away from the office, you can find Brittney working out, drinking green juice, reading, playing at the park with her dog Arya and of course dancing. Visit her at http://www.financiallywisewomen.com and request a FREE 30-minute Discovery Session to discuss how financial planning can help you use your money to live a life you love. Financially Wise Women is a registered investment adviser offering advisory services in the State of California and in other jurisdictions where exempted.