Am I there yet?
When will I get there?

Two daily questions that can dominate our inner thoughts if we are not careful.

It’s easy to spend the majority of our day, week, and life constantly comparing where we are with where we want to be. We have become an outcome-driven society addicted to fast fixes.

  • Want to lose 15lbs? Take this pill.
  • Want to make more money? Invest in this rising stock.
  • Want to feel good about yourself? Buy something.

We put too much trust in our half-baked solutions, and when they fail to deliver we get upset and quit.

This fixation on the desired outcome often leaves us with feelings of inadequacy, discouragement, and in many cases, never obtaining our goals.

Angela Duckworth, academic, psychologist, and firm believer in grit and self-control observes,

Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare.

I have been guilty of “outcome thinking” and have paid the price of many discouraging days and years. I believed there was a magic solution or shortcut to sustainable success.

When I become the #1 Time Management Trainer on the topic “Managing Multiple Priorities” then I’ll have more business then I can handle.

When I write a book with a major publisher, then I’ll be famous, and speaking opportunities will flood in.

When I become president of the National Speakers Association (Central Florida Chapter) then my career will take off.

After accomplishing all three of these tasks and reflecting on my self-deception, I realized that I had connected a false outcome.

You don’t have to make the same mistakes. Think process.

My focus now is on winning the day and on what I can control.

I write down three of my most important wins at the end of each day.

It doesn’t mean that my mind won’t slip back and think about where I want to be, it just does a better job of keeping me focused and happy on where I’m at and the progress I’ve made.

This type of micro-focus has allowed me to accomplish my goals at a faster rate, maintain a high level of confidence, and reduce the number of disempowering thoughts throughout the day.

Nick Saban, Alabama’s legendary football coach and winner of six national championships, also believes in winning the day and staying focused on the process.

We decided to use the approach that we’re not going to focus on the outcome,” Saban said. “We were just going to focus on the process of what it took to play the best football you could play, which was to focus on that particular play as if it had a history and life of its own.

Coach Saban first implemented “process thinking” for his players at Michigan State and has enjoyed success ever since.

It’s easy to think about the outcome and the years ahead, but this usually leads to worry. Don’t squander your time on anxiety.

by Eric Papp
Time Management Speaker

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