Expectation is hope with its shoes on and its bag by the door.

There is a real difference between wishing and expecting. The person expecting a job keeps the CV current, the shirt ironed, the referee warned. Expectation shows up first as preparation.

This is not naming and claiming. It is refusing to be caught unready when the thing you asked for finally arrives on a Tuesday afternoon with two days' notice and no ceremony.

Ask what you would be doing this week if you knew the answer were coming in March. Then do one small piece of that today, before you feel ready.