Learning to Love the Process

Goals. We all have them, but how often do we achieve them?

We get lost in the process of the mundane and monotonous. We pursue the goal full force for a couple of weeks, or if we are really passionate, maybe a couple of months before the whole process starts to lose its appeal. I say “we”, only because I am speaking of myself and believe that I am not alone in the never ending cycle of goal setting and then quitting to only feel like a failure.

Time and time again I have started new programs that will “change my life in 12 weeks”, or “make 6 figures in 6 months”. I have found myself believing that I do not have the discipline that other people have. Wondering if I am just not mentally tough enough. Leaving me worse off than I was before.

The problem with goals is that we think that when we reach certain goals, we will then be fulfilled and happy. Yes, goals can bring fulfillment, but the high is only temporary. Lately, I am trying to learn what it means to find fulfillment in the process. The process is the grunt work. The process is the 5am alarm. The process is saying no to that 2nd drink. The process consists of the ordinary that will lead to extraordinary.

These past few months, I have made some “minor” changes in my life. In just 7 months, these minor changes have led to MAJOR results. This IS the process. First I started by, reading every morning before looking at social media. I have to admit, I believed I would keep this pattern up for maybe a month or two before I gave in and chose Instagram at 6am instead, but here I am nearly 20 books deep. After a month, I added gratitude journaling and prayer to my morning routine. WOW. Who knew 5 minutes of my day could make the biggest difference to my all around life? This past month, I have added celery juicing into my morning routine. Jury is still out on if this will continue to be a vital part of my day.

I did not realize that making these small incremental changes could lead to such big results in my mental and even physical health. My life is in a much different place because of these changes. What is even crazier, is that I truly LOVE this time I get to spend in the morning with these small habits. Mainly because it is time to reflect and learn, but also because I know that in one year from now I will have something to show for it.

I recently (11 days in) started the 75 Hard Challenge. Without the discipline I’ve gained from my morning routine, I would have never believed I would have the persistence to even start. Which proves to me that even the smallest steps help you to gain momentum. I am excited to dig in deep throughout these 75 days because I think it will build endurance and show that consistency is key to seeing results. Now don’t get me wrong, 75 days is temporary, but my intention for the challenge is to focus on being present in that day and learning to love the process and not just counting down the days to reach my goal.