Don’t lower your expectations to meet your performance. Raise your level of performance to meet your expectations. Expect the best of yourself, and then do what is necessary to make it a reality.

The quote argues against the common coping strategy of reducing one’s goals to avoid disappointment. Instead, it frames expectations as a chosen standard that can pull performance upward—provided the person accepts responsibility for the gap between aspiration and current results. “Expect the best of yourself” is not presented as mere optimism; it is paired with the insistence on doing “what is necessary,” emphasizing discipline, planning, and sustained effort. The underlying message is that self-respect and ambition should be protected, and that progress comes from upgrading habits and actions rather than downgrading ideals.