Do you want to know how to learn to enjoy the PROCESS of working towards your goals?
Well, that’s great news!
Because I’m going to share 11 useful methods for how to enjoy the process. That REALLY work!
By the end of this article, you might even fall in LOVE with the process!
I’m going to divide this article into 2 sections:
- The BENEFITS of learning to enjoy the process.
- HOW to learn to enjoy the process (including 11 highly effective methods)
Section 1: The Benefits of Learning to Enjoy the Process
I used to focus LESS on the process, and MORE on the outcome.
And when I did that, I would often get discouraged and give up.
But as I started learning to enjoy the process more, It became a lot easier to STICK with my goals.
That is for several reasons:
- I found joy in the journey: Which incentivized me to keep pursuing things, even when times were challenging.
- I stopped worrying as much about the end result: Which freed my mind to stop stressing as much about the future, and to focus more on living in the present moment.
- As I learned to love the process, I began to pay more attention to the details: Which has helped me notice opportunities for improvement and increased my performance.
And the biggest benefit of all: I built resilience.
Resilience is the ability to keep persisting towards your goals and dreams, EVEN in the face of the obstacles and challenges that come your way.
Once I learned how to enjoy the process, I’ve become more persistent in pretty much every goal I’ve decided to pursue.
And even more importantly:
Not only has learning to appreciate the process made me more successful, it has also made me much happier.
Because even when I DON’T succeed, the journey itself is usually more rewarding.
Section 2: How to Learn to Enjoy the Process
Here are 11 methods for how to learn to enjoy the process.
Method Number 1: Seek Out Intrinsic Rewards
There are 2 types of rewards:
- Intrinsic rewards: Which are benefits you receive in return for the work you do that come from WITHIN.
- And extrinsic rewards: Which are benefits that come from OUTSIDE of yourself.
Intrinsic rewards are the most directly beneficial when it comes to enjoying the process.
That’s because they are benefits you receive from the process ITSELF.
Examples include:
- The joy of learning.
- Creative expression.
- Finding humor in something.
- The positive feeling you get from helping others.
- Or simply the internal satisfaction from knowing you are doing something productive.
Next time you are pursuing a goal, think about whether there is anything you LIKE about what you are doing.
Or that you can LEARN to like.
These things are the potential intrinsic rewards that you can start seeking.
Then, try to focus MORE of your attention on the aspects you find intrinsically rewarding, and LESS of your attention on:
- (A) The parts of the process you don’t like.
- And (B) the ultimate outcome.
If it’s a challenging goal, finding something you like about it might be tough.
But for most things, if you search deep enough, there is usually at least 1 thing you can discover that you like about it.
Recommended article: Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Rewards – Which Are Better?
Method Number 2: Measure Your Progress in the Right Way
When done in the RIGHT way, measuring your progress has several benefits.
Including:
- Delivering useful feedback.
- Helping improving future performance.
- And providing inspiration.
But if you measure your progress in the WRONG way, you can get overly focused on the outcome.
And when you become excessively tied to how well you are doing, you often start to get more:
- Anxious
- Worried
- And self-doubting
Even when things DO go well, if you focus too much on results, you can feel:
- Prideful
- Egotistical
- And vain
Which aren’t helpful emotions for long-term happiness.
So, how do you measure your progress in a way that gives you the PROS without the CONS?
Here are a few suggestions:
- Measure the smallest increments of progress possible: This helps you find joy in every step in the journey. For example, if you are lifting weights, assess your progress based on something small like pushing for 1 more rep. Rather than something big like “gaining 20lbs of muscle.”
- Don’t look at big picture success metrics too often: Every once in a while, looking at those broader metrics can be helpful to make sure you are headed in the right direction. But if you become OVERLY fixated on the big picture you are increasing the likelihood you will get discouraged. Because often it takes a LONG time to get there. Especially for larger goals.
- Use measurements to improve performance: Measurements are most beneficial when they are used to INFORM changes to your process. Used in this way, measurements can help make things more efficient or effective. Which will in turn make the process more enjoyable.
- Don’t forget to make note of intrinsic accomplishments: For example, if you are writing a story and felt you really leveled up creatively, count that as progress. Whether or NOT your story makes money or gets positive feedback. Of course, the money or feedback may matter too, but you don’t want to discount the skill you’ve built. And who knows, it may pay off in the long run.
Method Number 3: Make it Easier to Learn to Enjoy the Process by Minimizing Distractions
It’s going to be impossible to uncover aspects of the process you love, if you are constantly getting distracted.
That’s because you need to be able to deeply focus in on the process in order to find things you like about it.
So, if at all possible, try to create an environment where you can pursue your goals with minimal opportunity for interruption.
For example:
- If you are writing a paper, consider using an app to block distracting programs from drawing your attention away from the task at hand.
- When journaling, do that in a different place than where you typically play games and watch TV.
- Or if you are trying to learn to play guitar, perhaps you hide some tempting snacks you have out first.
The key is to think through your goals and come up with a plan to limit the distractions for each.
Sometimes it also helps to meditate for a few minutes before starting a task.
Meditation can help clear your mind so you are less preoccupied with things that might distract you.
Method Number 4: Give Yourself Credit for the Little Things
Another thing that can really help you learn to love the process, is to give yourself credit along the way.
The key here, is not just to WAIT until you achieve your ultimate goal.
Rather, to find ways to feel good about your progress continuously along your journey.
If you want, you can even give yourself mini rewards after completing certain steps.
And it’s totally fine if these are extrinsic rewards!
Like:
- Playing a game for an hour.
- Watching a movie.
- Or treating yourself to a snack you like.
These small rewards can help to positively reinforce the aspects of the process that you carried out.
Which can eventually translate into intrinsic satisfaction with those components. Even if those extrinsic rewards aren’t always present.
Method Number 5: Journal
Journaling can help make you more AWARE of the specific things you did process-wise.
Instead of just forgetting those details, you have a chance to reflect on them.
And as you increase your awareness, you will have more opportunities to find things that interest you.
Journaling can also help you process any negative feelings you experience.
If you don’t want to officially journal, informal reflection can also help.
Method Number 6: Focus on the Things You Can Control
Depending on your particular goal and situation, there may be a ton of stuff outside of your control which affect the outcome.
Things like:
- Getting sick.
- The state of the economy.
- Other people’s actions.
- And plain old luck.
If you are able to focus less on the aspects of the process you CAN’T control, you will have a lot more energy to devote to the things which you CAN control.
Understandably, this is easier said than done. And in some situations, not possible.
But the more you can focus on things which are WITHIN your sphere of influence, the easier it will be for you to enjoy the process.
Recommended article: 31 Ways to Stop Stressing Over Things You Can’t Control
Method Number 7: Don’t Compare Yourself With Others
When you get lost in comparing your success to other people, it’s going to be tough for you to enjoy the process.
Since you are placing SO much importance on your relative outcome.
Comparing yourself can also produce negative emotions like:
- Jealousy
- Self-loathing
- And resentment
These negative emotions can make it even harder for you to enjoy the process.
Now, clearly, there may be some situations where you HAVE to compare yourself to others a little bit.
For example, if you are in a competitive situation, like playing a sport.
But even then, there’s a helpful way AND an unhelpful way to evaluate how you are doing vs. competitors:
- The unhelpful way is to get demoralized because you aren’t as far along as someone else.
- The helpful way is to break down what it is those other people are doing and try to emulate those tactics to improve your own performance. This approach allows you to still shift your mind towards the process, while also leveling up your skills.
Method Number 8: Adjust Your Process to Make it More Enjoyable
So, you may be wondering, what about goals where you simply can’t find anything about the process you like?
In these situations, I like to try to adjust the process to make it more enjoyable.
Or at LEAST less painful.
Here are a few ways to do that:
- Increase efficiency: Find better ways to do things or to make things more streamlined. For example, once I had a work assignment in Excel which I HATED doing initially. But then I was able to start using an Excel formula that made the part of the process I hated much easier. Which actually led me to start liking the assignment.
- Mix things up: Sometimes you might be going about something in a way which isn’t optimal for you. In those situations, it sometimes helps to mix things up a bit. For example, if you are doing a diet which involves a bunch of foods you hate, switch to a different diet that allows tastier foods.
- Integrate something new into the process: For instance, listening to a podcast or music during a workout. In some ways this may seem in opposition to focusing deeply on the process. But if you are doing something really difficult, it can sometimes be the only way you are going to truly enjoy things. I personally listen to podcasts or music during workouts on an “as needed” basis.
Method Number 9: Make a List of Everything You Like About Pursuing Each Goal
It can be very helpful to brainstorm what it is you like (or could potentially learn to like) about your goals.
For example, here is my list of things I like about working out:
- The endorphin rush I feel after each rep.
- The feeling that I am using my body effectively.
- The fun motions of doing certain lifts or movements.
- Being aware that I am improving my health.
- A sense of accomplishment from knowing I am working towards my goal.
- Listening to podcasts or music (on days I am struggling to focus fully on the process).
- Getting to know my body better.
- Talking to the gym staff or other members.
- Appreciating the times my wife and I go together.
- Being a part of a community (both the gym itself and the broader workout community).
- Learning more about weightlifting (including figuring out new exercises).
- The relief and pleasure I feel in between sets.
And the biggest thing of all:
The fact that I know EXACTLY what I need to do while working out, and NOTHING else matters at that point.
None of my usual debates over what to do and how to handle certain situations in my life.
In that moment, I just work out, and that’s all there is.
Keep in mind, I’ve been working on this one for a while, so even if your list is just 1 thing at first, that is totally fine.
1 thing you like is plenty to start with!
Also, for some really challenging pursuits, 1 thing you like might be all that is possible.
Recommended article: How to Stick to a Workout Schedule
Method Number 10: Practice
The only way you are going to figure out how to learn to enjoy the process, is to practice it.
That’s because:
- A) You aren’t going to learn to enjoy something you aren’t doing.
- And (B) the more you practice it the easier it will become to enjoy it. Since the hard things will get less difficult as your abilities improve. And because you will discover more things you like about it.
So, whatever you do, get out there and give it a try!
Learning to love the process isn’t going to happen from thinking about it alone.
Method Number 11: Don’t Put Pressure on Yourself to Enjoy the Process All the Time
Don’t feel like you have to enjoy the process every single moment.
Unless you are a superhero, that probably isn’t possible.
This is for a few reasons:
- It can take a LONG time to figure out how to learn to enjoy the process for each goal that you have.
- Focusing a little on the outcome in certain situations makes sense and is totally fine.
- Some things are just incredibly difficult, and focusing on the process in those situations might be extremely hard.
All of this is perfectly natural.
In a way, figuring out how to learn to enjoy the process, is a process in and of itself.
And that is also something you can learn to love.
Want more on how to learn to enjoy the process? Read the other part of this series!
How to Focus on the Process, Not the Outcome
This article discusses why, when, and how to focus on the process.
It is definitely worth checking out!