How to Focus on the Process not the Outcome

This article is going to tell you how to focus more on the process, and less on the outcome, in order to achieve true joy and success.

A lot of articles tell you WHY focusing on the process is good, but very few tell you HOW to do that. This article is going to tell you BOTH.

For this article, I am going to divide things into 3 sections:

1. WHY focusing more on the process can be helpful.
2. WHEN to focus on the process and when to focus on the outcome.
3. HOW to focus on the process (using a 3-step Method).

Note, this is the first part of a two-part series. After reading this, be sure to check out Part 2: How to Learn to Enjoy the Process (11 Methods)

Section 1: Why Focusing More on the Process Can Be Helpful

Most people spend far too much time thinking about WHERE they want to get in terms of their goals.

And not nearly enough time on the SPECIFIC STEPS it will take to reach them.

Society teaches us that in order to be successful, you need to get results.

However, society doesn’t always emphasize that in order to get the best results, you need to focus more on the process.

And not only will focusing more on the process get you the results you are looking for, it will also make you a whole lot happier.

For example, if you are studying, there are two ways to go about it:

1. Outcome-Focused Approach: Studying to reach a certain desired result. For example, getting a good grade in a class you are taking or doing well on an exam.
2. Process-Focused Approach: Focusing on the specific processes involved, such as taking notes as you are reading, doing practice problems, memorizing information, or simply paying close attention to the reading material itself.

There are four reasons why focusing more on the process can get you better results.

Reason #1: It Helps You Concentrate on the Task at Hand

Imagine you are studying and are fully absorbed in what you are doing. And not getting constantly distracted by thoughts like “I hope I do well on this test.”

When you are deeply focused on something, your performance improves substantially.

Therefore, paying more attention to the process will help you get in that deeply focused mindset.

Reason #2: It Makes it Easier to Spot Opportunities for Improvement

As you focus on the process more, you become more aware of which specific components are going well and which are not.

This increased awareness enables you to spot opportunities for improvement.

If your mind keeps drifting to the end result, it won’t be as easy for you to recall all the little details and how to adjust them.

But if you are fully immersed in what you are doing, you will notice things you might not have been aware of otherwise.

For example, say you are learning to play the guitar and your mind is focused on the outcome.

Perhaps your goal is to get good enough to start a band.

If you are distracted with daydreaming about starting a band while playing, you might not pick up on subtle things about your technique that you could improve upon.

Like not holding down some of the notes hard enough in certain chords.

But if you focus on the process while practicing, you are more likely to pick up on those small opportunities for improvement.

Which will lead to more efficient progress towards your goals.

Reason #3: Focusing on the Process Makes Pursuing Your Goal More Enjoyable

If you focus on the process, you are more likely to find intrinsic rewards in whatever you are doing.

Intrinsic rewards are benefits you receive in return for the work you do which come from within.

For instance:

• The satisfaction from listening to the sound of the guitar as you play.
• Or the sense of accomplishment as you start to figure out a new computer program.

When you are process-focused, you are paying closer attention to these kinds of things.

And therefore are MORE likely to discover aspects of working towards your goal which you truly enjoy.

Side note – I have a full article on intrinsic rewards vs. extrinsic rewards

Reason #4: It Helps You Stick to Your Goals

It does this in two ways:

• First, as you learn to find things intrinsically enjoyable about your pursuit, it will make it easier for you to keep up with your goals. That is because you are more likely to stick with something you enjoy.
• Second, most goals can take a long time to accomplish. If you just focus on the outcome, you might get discouraged because you aren’t achieving your goal quick enough.

However, focusing on the process is much more encouraging. That is because you are focused on the small, individual components of your goal.

And those little things are much more achievable in the short-run.

Section 2: When to Focus on the Process and When to Focus on the Outcome

To best explain this, I am going to divide things up into three phases:

1. The Planning Phase: When you plan, research, and think through how how best to reach your goal.
2. The Execution Phase: When you actively implement the steps needed to achieve your goal.
3. The Measurement Phase: When you periodically assess the progress you are making towards your goal.

Phase 1: The Planning Phase

This is the phase where you research what you need to do to accomplish your goal and plan out the specific steps required.

In the Planning Phase, you want to focus less on the outcome, and more on the process.

When you first decide to pursue something, you usually have an outcome in mind.

For example, your goal might be to learn how to cook, to run a marathon, or to start a business.

It is totally fine to have these goals. And naturally, you are going to have to think about your end goal a little bit during the planning stage.

In order to figure out how to best achieve it.

However, when you focus TOO much on the end goal, that can lead to vague, broad plans, which aren’t thought through fully.

And it’s harder to follow through when you don’t have a clear vision in mind.

But if your plan is more specific, and process-focused, it will be easier to execute your plans.

Recommended Article: How to Break Down Goals Into Steps

Phase 2: The Execution Phase

The Execution Phase is when you implement the steps needed to achieve your goal.

For example, if your goal is to write a book, this is the phase after you’ve planned out your story, and now are actually writing.

The Execution Phase is where it is MOST important to focus on the process and not the end results.

That is for two reasons:

• First, it improves performance. When you are executing a task, you want to be in the zone, deeply concentrating on executing the specific processes involved. Focusing on the outcome at this stage is just a distraction from the task at hand.
• Second, focusing on the process makes the activity more enjoyable.

That’s because focusing on the process helps you stay in the present moment, which reduces the anxiety and stress you get when you are lost in thought, worrying about the end result.

Also, when you pay attention to the process as you are doing it, you are more likely to discover things you like about it.

Phase 3: The Measurement Phase

In the Measurement Phase, you assess your progress towards your goal and refine things if needed.

At this stage, it helps to weigh your progress based on a mix of process and outcome.

• During the measurement phase, you have to consider the outcome, because you need to determine how much progress you have made towards your goal. That way, you can figure out whether or not any adjustments are needed.
• But you also need to consider the process, because you need to pinpoint the areas that need improvement. In order to enhance your performance in the future.

Section 3: How to Focus on the Process (Using a 3-Step Method)

The idea of this method is to focus less on the end results and more on the process itself, by finding things you like about the process.

Keep in mind, this method is primarily designed to help with the Execution Phase (the phase when it is most important to focus on the process).

Side note that I have made a free guide which discusses how to focus on the process in the other phases as well. (More info on this at the end of the article).

To make it easier to follow along, I’m going to use studying as an example throughout. (But this can apply to any goal!)

Step 1: Find Something You Like About the Process

One of the biggest reasons it can be hard to focus on the process is that there are often negatives in the process that occupy your mind.

With studying, there are a lot of potential negatives involved, including:

• The intense concentration needed to read and retain information.
• The stress that occurs over whether we will do well in a class or on an exam.
• Guilt over procrastinating and not having studied earlier.
• The pressure from society, family, and peers to do well.
• And in some cases, a dislike of the material.

So how do you fix this?

First, start by finding a morsel of something you like in the process.

Even if it is an incredibly small component, that’s okay.

And keep in mind, this is just an exploratory phase, so no pressure to figure it out right away.

When studying, there are also many potential positives. For example:

• The satisfaction of knowing you are acquiring new knowledge.
• The fascination of learning new or interesting material.
• And the feeling that you are accomplishing something productive.

Keep working on this step until you’ve found at least one element you like about whatever you are doing.

Step 2: Concentrate on the Aspect You Like

Now that you’ve found something you like, start concentrating on that aspect whenever possible.

You may want to practice this for a few days, before moving on to Step 3.

Step 3: When Your Mind Drifts, Go Back to the Aspects You Like

Now, whenever your mind wanders and starts thinking about the outcome. Or about aspects of the process you don’t like. Try to SHIFT your attention back to thinking about the things you LIKE.

For example, let’s say you think about the pressure to get a good grade and start getting stressed.

Shift your focus to just reading the material because you find some of it interesting.

And take that pressure off of yourself.

If you’ve ever tried meditating, the process is somewhat similar.

In meditation, when your mind drifts to thoughts, you return your attention back to your breathing. The same can apply here, only this time, you return to the aspect of the process that you like.

Keep repeating these steps.

As time goes on, you will start focusing more of your attention on the process, and less of your attention on the outcome.

And don’t worry if it’s not 100% perfect. Unless you are Neo from The Matrix, that probably isn’t possible.

Even going from 0% process-focus to 50% process-focus would be a huge achievement.

Think about the things you like about the process as your anchors.

They are something you can return to and focus on whenever your mind starts worrying about the outcome.

Or when you are struggling to motivate yourself because of the negative aspects involved.

Final Thoughts

I’m not perfect by any means, and there are still plenty of times the outcome enters my mind.

But by focusing on the process more than I’ve done in the past, I’ve made much more progress towards my goals.

And even more importantly, I’ve become a whole lot happier.

Want more? Continue to Part 2 & Get the Free PDF Guide!

Part 2: How to Learn to Enjoy the Process (11 Methods)

How to Focus on the Process PDF Guide: Click here to get the free guide!

The PDF guide goes into even more depth on how to focus on the process.

It even includes an editable template for you to fill out to help you focus more on the process with your goals. You should definitely check this out!

You will also get other free member-only content on how to build self-discipline, so you can follow through with your goals.