A few weeks back, I heard someone say that when people talk about focusing on process instead of results, it sounds idealistic. For me, this was a Princess Bride moment — I don’t think that word means what that person thinks it means.
An idealist is someone who envisions a perfect situation other than current reality, which is the opposite of someone who keys in on process. In other words, idealists are completely focused on the outcome, but not necessarily the work it takes to form new habits and improve in the direction of that outcome.
This is why so many people ultimately give up on their goals, because achieving the ideal in your head is harder than you think, and often impossible. Meanwhile, focusing on process is a surer path to improvement, and largely within your control.
Focus on what you can control
Let’s say you’re a guy who wants to add ten pounds of muscle in six months. That’s a doable goal for most men, but not necessarily within your control. Life, work, and your own genetics may make the achievement impossible within that time frame.
But you can instead resolve to create the habit of lifting weights. Make it a priority to get to the gym three times a week. If you miss a day, fine — just try hard not to miss two in a row.
You’ll have good, bad, and middling days for strength advances. But when your goal is to simply show up and lift, you win every time you walk through that door.
And guess what? Eventually you’ve got the muscle, and a habit that ensures you can keep it.
Structure and consistency for the win
It’s natural to head into a new year with resolutions and goals, but just 8% of us will be successful at getting our desired outcomes. Change your focus, though, and the success rate for significant improvement (rather than specific achievement) goes way up.
It’s all about structure and consistency. “Everything we see about success rate says that the most important thing is to structure your goals so you can be consistent,” says Drake Baer, author of Everything Connects.
What is meant by structure and consistency? Small actions that compound by being repeated over and over — also known as process. This is the key to your improvement in 2019, and there’s nothing idealistic about it.
