Trust the Process

The science of success has reinforced the importance of setting goals. It has also highlighted the importance of having a system for attaining a goal. Consider this quote from Dr. Heidi Grant:

"When you set yourself a goal, try to be as specific as possible. “Lose 5 pounds” is a better goal than “lose some weight,” because it gives you a clear idea of what success looks like. Knowing exactly what you want to achieve keeps you motivated until you get there.

"Also, think about the specific actions that need to be taken to reach your goal. Just promising you’ll “eat less” or “sleep more” is too vague — be clear and precise. “I’ll be in bed by 10pm on weeknights” leaves no room for doubt about what you need to do, and whether or not you’ve actually done it."

Yes,?research?is suggesting that setting a specific goal is good but not enough. If setting a goal is all that we do, it is likely to fail. Instead of motivating you, the goal can de-motivate. Indeed this is one of the reasons for the high rate of goal abandonment.

So what are we to do? Setting goals is such an important factor in any kind of success in life.

The answer is, once having set a goal, put it on the vision board, and turn your focus to the process you will use to accomplish it!

This has long been known in the field of sports, where the savviest of coaches will focus on practice and process, convinced that such will lead to winning.

So let's break this down.

The process is your plan of action. The steps you will take. The daily To Do's (and Don't Do's) that will get you there.

For example, consider a job seeker who has a goal of landing a desired job with a target employer. Her goal is a good one. She has even used the old SMART approach to setting it.

If she stops there, her chances of reaching the goal are in doubt.

What she must do next is systematize her approach!

Keeping the KISS Principle in mind, here are two questions for a simple approach to process:

1. What will I do each day to reach my goal?
2. What will I NOT do each day to achieve my goal?

For a job seeker, some daily To Do's include: calling up someone in your network for a coffee chat; taking someone out for a coffee chat; sending a follow up note; volunteering your time; using LinkedIn; researching a company of interest; attending a job search support group meeting; keeping fresh in your field; learning a new skill; working out at a gym or some other form of exercising... etc.

Some daily Do Not's include: spending all day on the computer; waiting for the phone to ring; taking on "busy work;" staying in your comfort zone; avoiding or procrastinating on any of the To Do's.

The things on the Do Not list represent pitfalls and obstacles that will sabotage the job seeker if you are not careful. Be aware of them and steer clear.

Reaching your goals is what success is all about. It starts with you. It's up to you.

It isn't easy. But the process is the key.

Trust the process.

About the author: I'm Terrence "Terry" Seamon and one of the maxims I learned from the Total Quality movement was "trust the process." It applies to anything in life that we are trying to attain or improve.