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On today\\u2019s episode, I\\u2019ll share a few stories about expectations and tie them into my journey.\\xa0 You\\u2019ll hear about my favorite board game, which is Ticket to Ride, my unplanned pregnancy at the age of 23, and my expectations for episode one of this podcast. \\xa0

Mentioned in this episode

Ticket to Ride https://www.daysofwonder.com/tickettoride/en/usa/

The University of Toledo College of Pharmacy\\xa0

Purdue College of Pharmacy \\xa0

Episode One of The Pharmacist\\u2019s Voice Podcast\\xa0

Episode Notes

An expectation is a strong belief that something will happen in the future. There\\u2019s no plan.\\xa0 You just expect it to happen.\\xa0 If I set a goal, on the other hand, it\\u2019s specific.\\xa0 I get to pick how I try to achieve the goal.\\xa0 Goals can be flexible that way. \\xa0

When I play my favorite board game, Ticket to Ride, I have some expectations.\\xa0 I expect to have fun, score as many points as possible, and finish the game.\\xa0 There\\u2019s no plan.\\xa0 I just expect it to happen.\\xa0 I believe it will happen. \\xa0 \\xa0

If you\\u2019re unfamiliar with Ticket to Ride, it\\u2019s a board game with a train theme.\\xa0 It\\u2019s also available using apps on Apple and Android products.\\xa0 I love it!\\xa0 There are at least ten maps.\\xa0 The Swiss and US maps are my favorites.\\xa0 Players claim railway routes connecting cities, and the player with the most points at the end of the game wins.\\xa0 What\\u2019s the goal?\\xa0 To have the highest score.\\xa0 How do you get points?\\xa0 Depending on the map, there are several different ways, like completing destination tickets, building the longest train, and scoring the most points with up to 45 wagons. \\xa0

If you can imagine a map of the United States, a common destination ticket is Los Angeles to New York City.\\xa0 To complete that ticket, I could travel across the middle of the country through Salt Lake City, Denver, Chicago, and Pittsburgh to get from LA to New York.\\xa0 I could travel from West to East or from East to West.\\xa0 I could even start in the middle of the country.\\xa0 If I wanted to, I could travel south through Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston, and El Paso on my way to LA.\\xa0 It\\u2019s my journey.\\xa0 I get to pick the route.\\xa0 The goal remains the same, no matter how unconventional the route. \\xa0

Ticket to Ride is practically an analogy for life.\\xa0 Have expectations.\\xa0 Play the game.\\xa0 Live your life.\\xa0 If you want to accomplish something, set some goals.\\xa0 Accomplish your goals whether you take the predictable, direct route or the longer, scenic route.\\xa0

I\\u2019ve made it this far on my journey from pharmacist to voice actor by being flexible yet still achieving my goals.\\xa0 Because of my life circumstances, I\\u2019ll admit to taking the scenic route!\\xa0 I\\u2019m making progress slowly, but I expect to move the needle a little more every year. \\xa0

I need to update my goals this month, but I have my expectations written.\\xa0 For the next 12 months, I expect to

Without goals to support those expectations, I\\u2019m only having fun being in the game.\\xa0 I\\u2019m looking forward to writing new goals this month and making progress. \\xa0

Here\\u2019s the story about my unplanned pregnancy at the age of 23. \\xa0

I got married in 2001 when I was still 22 years old, just 6 weeks after graduating with my Bachelor\\u2019s Degree in Pharmacy.\\xa0 I expected to work for a year to pay off my student loans.\\xa0 Then, go to grad school.\\xa0 My choices were:

1. Master\\u2019s Degree in Pharmacy Administration from Purdue\\xa0
2. PharmD from The University of Toledo. \\xa0

I earned my Bachelor\\u2019s Degree from The University of Toledo (GO ROCKETS!), and the PharmD was the more likely choice.\\xa0 In less than a year, however, I unexpectedly got pregnant at the age of 23.\\xa0 I never went to grad school.\\xa0 Back when I graduated, a pharmacist only needed a Bachelor\\u2019s Degree. \\xa0

When my husband and I were expecting our first child, I was just trying to get through the pregnancy.\\xa0 I was young, and none of my friends had kids yet.\\xa0 I didn\\u2019t think too much about the birth, childcare, or how my life would change.\\xa0 Like the free spirit I was back then, I thought I\\u2019d figure it out during maternity leave AFTER the baby was born.\\xa0 We had a son.\\xa0 He\\u2019s 17 now. \\xa0

I expected an easy labor and delivery.\\xa0 I expected all the time my husband and I spent in lamaze class would pay off, and I would have an uneventful delivery.\\xa0 Unfortunately, our son was breech at 39 weeks, and I had a c-section.\\xa0 My expectations were blown completely apart.\\xa0 Not only did I have a c-section, but I also had a post-operative infection that lasted so long that I couldn\\u2019t even return to work after 12 weeks.\\xa0 I was out of work for 16 weeks.\\xa0 \\xa0

Then, another surprise happened.\\xa0 I thought babies slept a lot.\\xa0 Not my baby.\\xa0 The doctors told me my son had \\u201ccolic.\\u201d\\xa0 Fast-forward 2 and a half years.\\xa0 He actually had a number of problems, including sensory integration dysfunction and autism.\\xa0 I didn\\u2019t expect a c-section, a post-op infection, an unhappy baby, sleepless days and nights, and eventually a child with a disability.\\xa0 I know all about unmet expectations.\\xa0 There are some things, you just can\\u2019t write goals for.\\xa0 It\\u2019s ok to change your expectations though and make plans the best you can under the circumstances.\\xa0 That\\u2019s what I did. \\xa0

When I was learning how to launch my podcast last year, at least a dozen people told me that my first episode would also be my worst episode.\\xa0 They were kind of right.\\xa0 It happens to be my most-listened-to episode whether you or I think it\\u2019s my worst or not.\\xa0 The point is that the expectation was set.\\xa0 Knowing that the first one might be terrible actually helped me reconcile that I had to just get started and not let my expectations or anyone\\u2019s judgement prevent me from moving forward.\\xa0 I made it my goal to improve my delivery, content, and show notes over time.\\xa0 I feel at peace with everything, and I really do think it\\u2019s getting better.\\xa0 Feel free to give me some feedback using the contact form on my website.\\xa0 https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com\\xa0

Have expectations.\\xa0 Make goals.\\xa0 If you come close, give yourself credit, and try to enjoy the journey. \\xa0

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