When setting goals and planning for change, whether in business or in our personal lives, we have to make sure we avoid a common trap. Most people set goals that help them visualize the final result. They describe what they want. They may use a goal setting system, such as SMART Goals or 10X goals.

The biggest reason that people miss their goals is because they are not able to attach that desired outcome to the necessary process. In other words, they understand what they want to achieve but not how they are going to achieve it. The how part is much more crucial than any other element.

Process or Outcome Goal?

In his book, Smart Change, Dr. Art Markman refers to this as outcome goals and process goals. He states that “the most typical goal people pursue is an outcome goal. It refers to a specific state that you hope to reach in the future (like being a thin mother of the bride). The second type of goal is a process goal that focuses on a set of actions you can perform. As a side effect of those actions, you may achieve some desirable outcomes, but your focus is on the actions, not the outcome.”

When you realize you need to make a change, do you focus solely on outcome goals? Or do you look for ways to change the process to see results?

It seems like being hyper focused on the end result will help propel us to that goal. But it doesn’t. Instead it glosses over the gap between where you and where you want to be. But within that space is the true work necessary to improve.

If we can shift to focus on the process one might assume this means we don’t have an aim or a target that we hope to hit. The argument is that without the bullseye, how will we know if we hit it or not?

But having that direct goal isn’t as important as you think. Wanting to lose 46.4 lbs in 6 weeks might seem like a perfect SMART goal. Selling 6 additional units this month is a classic sales goal. Yet those aren’t determining where you will end up.

Instead of being a target, they become wild guesses. Without the how part, they simply become our best assumption as to what we could achieve. Instead of being motivating, they constantly remind us of the fact that we are currently failing, since we haven’t yet hit the goal.

Limits of Motivation

For some people this pushes them. They dig deep inside and pull out new motivation to do extra work to achieve the goal. At the end they celebrate. Then they start all over. They set another goal. They assume they are failing and need that push of motivation.

The problem lies in how we view motivation and effort. Most people assume it all comes down to our willpower and the ability to power through. But this is exhausting. And we always have to stay motivated.

In reality, motivation comes and goes. And in the moments that we need it most, it is fleeting. It disappears.

Think about the last fitness goal you set. You probably felt all sorts of motivation and inspiration as you envisioned yourself looking fit and healthy. But then your alarm clocks buzzes and the first day shows up with a complete lack of motivation.

You power through. Then the next day shows up and you have to go through the same routine. Feeling miserable and unmotivated, you psych yourself up, exercise as hard as possible trying to outdo yesterday, then back to it tomorrow.

After a short time, your end result seems further away. It becomes less motivating as you realize you aren’t going to hit the goal. Suddenly your whole strategy around having motivation vanishes and all you are left with is the realization that you are going to fail.

It is no wonder why so many people struggle to improve and get better. These steps are systematically working to get you to fail and be miserable.

Set Up the System to Help You Improve

Setting process goals is different. Instead of worrying about some stretch outcome goal, we set small goals around what we hope to do on a regular basis.

Instead of setting a goal to lose 46.4 lbs. we set a goal to exercise for 10 minutes every morning. This becomes the target. This becomes the thing we aim for. This is doing the work.

Instead of setting a sales goal to sell 6 additional units this month, set the goal to make 15 additional cold calls every morning. Those extra calls will likely result in more meetings, more sales presentations, and ultimately more sales.

As we start to hit the process goal, we will start to form new patterns of behavior. We will start to build a habit. Once we built that habit we will naturally start improving. We probably won’t hit 46.4 lbs. or 6 additional units but will likely see a reduction in our weight.

As the process goals becomes habit, we can set additional process goals. We can add more since the foundation is there and we are already in the habit of doing 10 minutes of exercise. Doing 12 minutes of exercise is easy when you have done 10 minutes every day for the past month. Doing 12 when you have done zero minutes a day means you have to form all of those patterned behaviors from scratch.

Something you will notice when you focus more on process goals than outcomes is that improvement comes naturally. We are doing the hard work to succeed. We are growing and getting better by doing the things necessary.

We will naturally start to see improved outcomes. As we do, we will better understand those long-term targets. It will give us more insight into outcome goals and what is truly possible. Instead of a wild guess, they become an extension of the improvement trend you see.

Setting Goals that Last

Another benefit of process goals over outcome goals is that process goals tend to last longer. Dr. Markman states that “processes can go on for long after a particular outcome is reached, making them great goals for long-term life changes.”

If you find yourself struggling with the same goals, look to the process for reaching those goals. Is the process one that builds and adjusts the systems and habits in your life? Or, is it more focused on a quick solution to a current problem?

Regardless of the change that you would like to see, understand the importance of the process. The process contains the steps that you will use to achieve your goal. The process is the how part of the goal and is the main driver for success or failure. It also is what determines whether you solve a problem temporarily or permanently. Learn to focus on process goals to see long-lasting positive change.