The Power of Process

In a world that often forces us to conform, Rupal Patel ’s journey of embracing her uniqueness stands out.?

Rupal is a former CIA agent turned CEO.

We were so honored to have a conversation with her on episode 63 of Embracing “Only” where we explored embracing the unpredictable nature of life.?

Rupal shared with us some actionable steps for navigating life’s journey (uncertainties included). In this newsletter, we’re diving into the power of process.?

Listen to the episode or scroll down to read one of the highlights of our conversation ↓

1) Commit to the Process, Not the Outcome

Rupal is a prolific writer and there is a quote from one of her blog posts that I would love to share.

“Commit to the process and not the outcome. Get comfortable with the repetition, the tedium, and the trade-offs.” - Rupal Patel

This is something that is so hard for action-oriented people to do. Especially because you don’t actually know if that repetition and tedium will pay off.

You hope it does… But there is still no guarantee of anything because there are so many things outside of our control.

“Part of the challenge is not just committing to a process, but committing to the right process and being willing to tweak and course correct along the way if required.” - Rupal Patel

But we have no other choice, right??

“If I care enough about something, then I have no choice but to do the work required to get it.” - Rupal Patel

2) Let Go of the Timeline

It takes time to achieve your goals.

Who cares how long it takes?

“If the goal or the vision or the ambition is big enough, it genuinely doesn't matter if it takes two years or if it takes 20 years. If it's important to you, the time it takes shouldn't matter because that time is going to pass anyway.” - Rupal Patel

Rupal explains that either you fill your time with pursuing your dreams, obstacles and challenges included, or you decide it's not worth it and give up. It’s that simple.?

3) Move Through Fear

Rupal explains that we have a tendency to catastrophize things in our brain and rarely do things turn out as bad as we think they might.?

Rupal shares two steps she uses to move through fear

1. Write down specifically what you are worried about and all the scenarios associated with it.
2. Write down what you can do about it.

Make your fears concrete and physically get them out of your head. Then channel the energy you would have used to worry about these fears into finding solutions.

This way you focus on what you can control rather than what is out of your control.

4) Take the “Let’s See” Approach

Rupal embraces what she called a “let’s see” approach to life.

She explains that we have an obsession with cause and effect.?

We get so obsessed with the outcome, that we forget that there is very little in life that is certain.

You have to be willing to see what happens.

Rupal explains that you should know your ambition and your vision, but be more open to the process of getting there.

“Life is genuinely an experiment.” - Rupal Patel

To hear the full conversation with Rupal Patel on the Embracing “Only” Podcast, scroll up and hit play – or click here and tune into episode 63.

EMBRACING “ONLY” PODCAST:?

?? Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere you find your podcasts!

Women – particularly women of color – are constantly bombarded with societal and systemic hurdles that they face professionally with no balance in solutions.?

News, media, and coaching tend to focus on our differences and obstacles but don’t provide thought-provoking solutions to help people regain control of their lives and find direction.?

The Embracing “Only” Podcast seeks to provide a community for women to share their lived experiences and not feel alone in their journey to claim their power and purpose in the communities they seek to serve, transform, and impact.