All too often we focus on the results instead of the process. The irony is that this causes the results to suffer.
Finishing an assignment, getting good grades, landing a job, reaching your goals and dreams — these are results. The destination at the end of the journey. But what I’m talking about here is loving the journey. Can anyone guarantee that you’ll reach your dream? Of course not. But I can guarantee that you’ll love your life if you choose to focus on the process.
(Yep, that’s me!)
Rock climbers call successfully climbing a cliff sending.
Sending a difficult climb takes both physical and mental performance. There are times that strength and finess are the only thing keeping you on the wall. Other times, the situation is just plain scary. Moving past fear in a calculated manner takes mental discipline.
I’ve noticed that climbers who make sending a route their goal tend to struggle with the mental game.
Always looking to the top, they see the entire intimidating wall as an obstacle. When they reach a comfortable rest stance, they don’t rest long enough to let their muscles recover. Physically and mentally drained, they fall when they reach the most difficult part of the climb. They often become angry or frustrated, and blame external factors for their failure.
Climbers who love to climb (and who climb well) tend to focus on the process of climbing.
Their goal isn’t to send the route. Their goal is to get better at climbing. Rather than trying to muscle their way up the entire wall, they break things into digestible chunks. They look for the path of least resistance. They look for small wins and places to rest. If they fall, they spend their time reflecting on why. They haven’t failed, because the goal wasn’t to send the route. The goal was to learn to climb better.
If you’d like help shifting your focus from the results to the process, you should check out the free class I am creating. It focuses on managing your time, getting control of your money, and building your career. This crash course in Intentionality will help you improve your processes and your results. Join for free today at www.tonyferrar.com/question
