Expectations Kill Happiness

When an expectation is made, it's hard to be happy with less than expected. This theory goes for the grandest plans down to the smallest dinner. So, what is an expectation and why is it so important? An expectation is something that must happen, something you expect, something that makes you 'move on' as a satisfactory ending to help you finalize, finish, close a moment. When an expectation isn't met, I always seem to revisit the moment in question. This isn't the worst thing in the world (depending how important/big the expectation was), but it isn't usually something you want to revisit. It also makes you lower your expectations for the next time you're in that situation.
Lately, I've been making and missing expectations left and right. Is it that I expect too much or life lets me down? It's the holidays... there's too much to expect, and it's unrealistic to expect so much from simple people. But, aren't the holidays supposed to be magical, expected to be grand? When the world tells you that things should be jolly, you tend to make that your expectation.
It's the time-old problem of listening to others' expectations (the media, friends...) and your reality can't meet the ideal. The Bible warns about this; everything should be measured up to Christ and HIS expectations. However, some things aren't spelled out in Biblical equivalents; the American Christmas Day, Birthday parties, and New Years Eve aren't talked about by Paul, Jesus or any anonymously written book of the Bible. Maybe that's the problem- these things aren't designed by God and don't need to have great expectations. They're worldly expressions of togetherness that (I guess) are designed to better community and family, but yet again, that's an expectation.
Needless to say, I've gotten myself in trouble with expecting too much lately. If I could design my life, it would be so different, but it's oddly freeing that God doesn't put that job in my hand. I'd place expectations so high that they'd never be met, but disappointment and hurt strangely seem to put me in my place and depend on Christ's fulfillment.
I know that a January 1st New Year's Blog should be full of positive expectations and plans, wiping a slate clean and beginning a new, making resolutions... but my negative (what I like to call realistic) position comes from a year of lots of missed expectations. So, I won't be making any resolutions, I won't be planning a life that I'd like, I'd rather focus on Christ's expectations of me (as I'm always failing, but have a standard to meet) and try to live up to WHATEVER He has for me.
So, 2009 should bring a lot of work, but hopefully I will look more like Christ by 2010.