Process Goals: The Key to Success Beyond Motivation

When striving to achieve a new objective, whether at work or in personal life, setting process goals can be a game-changer. These goals can often be the differentiator between success and failure, provided they are set and pursued correctly.

So, what exactly are process goals? Unlike the more common outcome goals that people typically set, process goals focus on specific actions that you identify to help you achieve something. Instead of fixating on the end result, process goals emphasize the journey and the steps you take along the way.

Many individuals tend to set outcome goals, which are centered around the rewards or end results of achieving something. For instance, people might aim to become a millionaire, attain a six-pack, win a race, or simply seek more freedom, compassion, or serenity. While setting goals based on expected outcomes may seem logical, research suggests that motivation alone isn't the primary driver of goal achievement.

Motivation tends to wane when faced with challenges, only to resurface when the goal seems distant. This phenomenon, known as the Hot-Cold Empathy Gap, highlights how our decision-making varies depending on whether we are in a "hot" state (facing a difficult decision) or a "cold" state (far removed from the decision-making moment).

Consider a scenario where someone aims to avoid unhealthy foods to lose weight. While it may seem easy to resist such foods in a cold state (when thinking about it in advance), the challenge becomes much harder when faced with the temptation in a hot state (when hungry and passing by a favorite fast-food place).

Instead of relying solely on motivation, it's more effective to cultivate consistency in our approach, gradually building new behavioral patterns that become habits. By focusing on what we need to do rather than just the end goal, we can continuously adjust our actions to stay on track.

In Atomic Habits, James Clear points to a study that seems to align with this concept. He says, “In 2001, Researchers in Great Britain began working with 248 people to build better exercise habits over the course of two weeks. The subjects were divided into three groups.”

He goes on, “The first group was the control group. They were simply asked to track how often they exercised. The second group was the ‘motivation’ group. They were asked not only to track their workouts but also read some material on the benefits of exercise.”

The third group received the motivational presentation but also set a process goal. The researchers called this process goal an implementation intention. This implementation intention was a sentence that listed exactly when and where they would exercise.

The results seemed to validate the idea that motivation doesn’t help. It also showed that the implementation intention (aka process goal) did make a significant impact on the results.

Clear explains, “In the first and second groups, 35 to 38 percent of people exercised at least once per week. (Interestingly, the motivational presentation given to the second group seemed to have no meaningful impact on behavior). But 91 percent of the third group exercised at least once per week – more than double the normal rate.”

If you have a goal you're aiming to achieve, focus on the how rather than thinking about the rewards at the end when you are setting goals. Instead of the typical outcome goal, set process goals that outline exactly what actions you'll take to succeed. This approach minimizes the need to rely on fleeting bursts of motivation and instead builds sustainable habits that drive consistent progress toward your goals. As demonstrated in the Great Britain study, adopting this approach can more than double your likelihood of success, surpassing the efficacy of motivation or outcome-based goals.