Process VS Outcome

Process vs outcome…..something I preach daily to clients. Often when we have our mind set on a goal, that’s all we tend to focus on. GETTING TO THAT GOAL, who cares about the

steps that get us there!!! Who can relate to that? I know I can!

That’s awesome and can be motivating…but what happens when you reach that goal? Then what? We’re often left feeling empty handed and somewhat lost asking ourselves “now what do I do, where do I go from here, what’s next”?

An approach I like to teach is to focus on the process itself. What are the steps and habits you are taking to get you towards that goal? Let’s use weight loss as an example.

Say your goal is to lose 30 pounds. Awesome! You have the meal plan, the workouts and the support. Day after day, you put in the effort and are slowly making your way there…but then you stumble, fall off the wagon and have a set back. Totally normal, no one is perfect!

Now here’s where we shift focus away from that goal and onto the process. What happened to derail you, what was the trigger? How can we change things to avoid this next time? Is there something we can learn and implement as a new tool for your future success? Let’s focus on the daily habits you need to create in order to not only reach your goal, but sustain your goal.

If a client comes to me with a weight loss goal, starting with the basics is important. For example, they don’t eat breakfast or drink much water. So, that’s where we’ll start. Let’s start

creating new habits that over time add up to a new lifestyle. With time, your daily habits are centered around whatever goal you have….and now you have an entire tool box of tricks to sustain this goal.

Goal setting IS important, writing it out with a timeline and plan on how you are getting there. Equally as important though is not just following the diet to lose 30 pounds for example (outcome), but learning and implementing new daily habits to support this lifestyle (process). 

Anyone in the world can follow a diet by simply reading off a piece of paper and following instructions, but to change your lifestyle it gets a bit more complicated and takes time.

Changing what you do from day to day until it becomes your new “normal” won’t happen overnight. Patience, persistance, consistency and a willingness to learn are huge factors as

well in reaching your goals! 

So if you find yourself constantly starting over on the same goal, here’s my suggestion. Pick ONE habit to focus on that will contribute to you reaching your goal. Just one. Work on that one habit for a week, the next week pick another habit to work on. Slowly over time, all of this will add up and get you closer to your goal.