Lots of people have visions, goals, or good intentions.
But most do not attain them.
So try this: Focus on the process, not the goal.
Essential ingredients:
1. Desire. (I finally want to change!)
Nothing happens without desire—the will and decision to act.
Things change when the cost of staying the same becomes worse than the cost of change.
2. Vision. (I want this to be my future reality!)
Have a clear picture of what you’ll do or how you’ll grow. Hold it adamantly.
You become what you consistently think about / believe / dedicate yourself to.
3. A Goal. (This concrete, measurable thing needs to happen!)
Goals make the vision concrete and are benchmarks for a dream’s becoming a reality.
Goals must be measurable and somehow attainable. And keep them open to change.
But if you focus on the goal, you ironically decrease your chances of achieving it.
And through the years I fell short most of the time. Maybe you did too.
That’s why it’s best to
4. Focus on the Process. (How—step by step—do I get there?)
Focusing on the process means practicing consistent belief, mindset, and action habits.
Whether or not you achieve the goal is secondary.
The process is more important because of the life change that happens in you day by day.
The desired outcome—whether achievement or character change—sooner or later becomes a natural result of the process.
Remember:
- You are not separated from your vision and goals by time. You’re separated by action.
- Most acts are small, even boring, yet they must be intentional and consistent.
- This is true in every single area of life. And it’s thoroughly biblical.
- Consistency beats everything.
Focusing on the Process
- keeps you in dynamic relation with God (or the vision) rather than in contractual servitude.
- centers you on who you’re becoming rather than simply trying to achieve something.
- frees you from temptations to be in control of what God may do or change.
- influences you to make wiser decisions than you would if only focused on the goal.
- helps keep you consistently moving forward, even when you don’t feel like it.
- frees you from stress about reaching your goal—results of the process are more important.
- acknowledges that God may do something different from the goal.
Nothing in the process is an end in itself. Everything is for the purpose of connecting you with God and your purpose and relationship or means through which he works in your life, or through which you move forward.
Visionary commitment to life transformation
that focuses on the process more than the goal
can become an unstoppable positive force
in any area of your life.
Art: Pixaby|Gerd Altmann
