The Importance of Progress

When pursuing a goal or project, it's crucial to stay focused on what truly matters. While the final outcome is often top of mind, it's not the only thing that deserves attention.

Many people make the mistake of fixating solely on the end result, which can lead to disappointment and missed opportunities. Instead, the final goal should serve as a distant vision and a reason for our efforts, but not be the main focus.

In other words, the goal determines the direction. It gives us that vision of what we want. But it isn’t ideal for helping us reach that level. It seems counterintuitive. Most would argue that the best way to reach a goal is to fixate on it until you reach it.

But to truly gauge our progress, we need to shift our focus to the steps we take along the way. There are two types of goals: outcome goals and process goals. Outcome goals describe the finish line, while process goals describe the steps needed to get there on a regular basis.

Without process goals, we risk merely hoping that our efforts will take us where we want to go. By setting intentional process goals, we can measure our progress and make necessary adjustments along the way.

Focusing on progress and process goals arms us with the keys to success. We can be confident in our approach because we can see that we're on track. We can be flexible and adjust as needed.

It also allows us to pivot when appropriate. Along the journey we may decide that the end result doesn’t appeal to us. Maybe the costs aren’t worth the reward at the end. Or maybe the risk is too great.

It could also be that our desire change. We may not want to keep working night shifts away from our family to buy the fancy car. We may not want to sacrifice this precious time when a used car will work just fine.

When you fixate on that end goal, you miss all of this. You don’t know if the steps you are taking are really working. You slip from your efforts whenever motivation fades or willpower vanishes.

You can’t flex when that increases your chances of success. You can’t pivot to a new approach while still maintaining progress. And you can’t change that end goal when it turns out it isn’t the right direction.

While many people still focus solely on the outcome goal, shifting to a progress-oriented mindset replaces frustration with contentment and replaces wishing with concrete action steps. By learning to focus on progress, we can achieve more and move towards the future we desire with purpose and intention.