Are you focusing on the process?

We are three weeks into the new year which means the majority of us have already abandoned whatever we vowed to change on January 1st.

By February 1st that number will increase to about 67% and by the end of the year less than 10% of us will be successful in making that change we vowed to make 21 days ago.

Why does this happen?

Well, it happens for a couple reasons.

But one of the biggest reasons is that we tend to be results-focused.

We obsessively step on a scale hoping to see the number change whether we have made any consistent changes in the way we are eating or not.

We check our sales numbers multiple times a day whether we’ve consistently done the things we need to do to make the sales or not.

We want our house to be organized but we aren’t doing the things we need to do everyday to keep it that way.

This can be a problem for athletes. They focus on their times/batting averages/whatever hoping to have different results, rather than focusing on the things they need to do consistently in order to get the results they want.

If you’re one of the 50% who has already abandoned their plans to make changes because you haven’t seen results yet, it’s time to shift your focus.

Rather than being obsessed with your results, become obsessed with the things you need to do to get the results.

If you want to be more organized, what are three things you could do to start making that happen?

I can think of a bunch of things that would help me:

1. Put my keys in the same place every day.
2. Designate a spot for my mail and put it there immediately after bringing it inside.
3. Be consistent with the kids when they walk in the door from school.
4. Take everything out of my car when I get home.
5. Put my dirty clothes in the hamper (rather than chucking them on the floor or a chair)

These are all parts of the process of staying organized.

If I’m consistent with just one of those things, I’ll be more organized a month from now.

My son was getting really frustrated with his swimming. He wasn’t seeing the results he wanted. 

So I asked him, “What do you need to do in order to get the results you want?”

He fired off a whole bunch of things he should be doing if he wants to see his times drop:

Not breathe into my turns.

Not breathe out of my turns.

Streamline past the flags even when I’m tired.

Do at least 3 fly kicks off of each wall.

Finish my breastroke kick.

To a non-competitive swimmer these things don’t mean anything, but they are all the things he needs to be doing to swim the times he wants to have.

It doesn’t matter how hard he pushes himself if he’s not doing that stuff.

So then I asked him what he thought he could focus on consistently.

Not breathing on my first stroke off the turn, he said.

And so he’s been focusing on that at practice. Just that one thing.

Once he starts doing that consistently most of the time, then he’ll add in something else.

But for now he’s just focusing on that part of the process.

And you know what?

In his last meet he swam faster than he’s swam in a while.

And he was so proud of himself.

His confidence was boosted. Big time.

And it’s not the results that really boosted his confidence.

It’s consistently focusing on the thing he needs to do to get the results.

Did you abandon your goals for 2023 already because you are frustrated by your lack of progress or results?

IF so, make a list of the things you need to do consistently in order to get the results.

And then pick ONE of them and start making that your focus.

See how many days this week you can be consistent with whatever that thing is.

The more consistent you are with that thing, the sooner you’ll start seeing the results you want.

What’s the result you’re hoping for this year? Share in the comments and then share three things you can do to make forward progress.

And then pick one, and get started!