Ordinary People Focus on the Outcome. Extraordinary People Focus On the Process.
In this article, Anthony Moore made quite a few very valid points, which I will share as I offer my dispute. And mind you, I don’t disagree with his points. I just feel that it’s a very one lane point of view.
First, the statement in the title: Ordinary people focus on the outcome, Extraordinary people focus on the process.
And yes, I hear Miley singing in the background about The Climb; so I get the point. And let me just say before I get into the crux of my argument, that his points are all well stated and well presented, and I have no problem at all with the way he presented them. His position seems sound, yet…
“I focus on process rather than outcome.”
I’ve gotten into the habit of qualifying my clients this way. I know who are really my people, and who are not by the way they answer my question.
Are you about the process, or are you about the end results?
I can tell you one thing. Those who hem and haw…who dawdle between two opinions quickly and unconsciously provide their answer.
If I attached to the outcome, I was setting myself up to expect, and thus to fail. My job was to be compelling. Take come chances. Enjoy the process.
Because the truth is, you don’t control the outcome. You don’t control anything — except yourself. The only parts you truly have control over are your attitude, your mindset, and your actions. The rest is out of your control.
The truth is…people who focus on the process are attached to expectations because they want control; to dictate every aspect of how something is to be accomplished as opposed to TRUSTING.
Therefore, it is my contention that people who focus on the process are not Extraordinary; quite the contrary. People who focus on the outcome are the Extraordinary ones.
They’re passionate about the end goal, and they work consistently towards it, irregardless of the struggle. They enjoy the process and the struggle because it’s the necessary sacrifice of greatness and achievement on any level. They take the risk and endure the struggle because they trust in their concept or ideal…the outcome.
I am an LMT. That’s a Licenced Massage Therapist for those who don’t know that acronym. Every day I see people suffering. I talk to people in pain, who are struggling against it by coming to the office for treatment.
There are many people suffering from pain worldwide, for various reasons. Most of the suffering is needless and unnecessary, which is why I’m writing a book to explain the variables and causes of pain.
But there is a dividing line. Most of us who are trying to fulfill a purpose or follow a passion, do so because we see pain on some level, and a need that demands answers and fulfillment.
But I deal with people physically suffering. I’m dealing with the full spectrum of spirit, mind, and body, and what affects it causing the manifestation of ongoing, chronic pain.
My question is the great divider. It separates the players from the perpetrators. It defines who’s playin’ for real; who’s in it to win it in the battle against pain.
I ask this question because it helps me to determine treatment. Which technique should I use? You see I have developed a technique and system that unlocks very restricted muscle completely at the joint, as well as in the muscle itself.
I had a client who was assisted in with two canes, and dragging a pair of deadweight legs behind them; after being told, by doctors, such nonsense as “Your muscles in your legs are disintegrating.”
This same man got up off my table, straight and not needing assistance; fully functional and walking on his own with the two canes hanging on his arm.
This is not the first time I’ve had such incredible results, but do you know why that happened? It happened because I had a client who was more focused on the end result than on the process.
You see, I’ve had “process” people. These are the nit pickers who are control freaks and want to dictate every aspect of what I do and how I do it, because they are stuck in the past, and live in their expectations.
“My serenity is inversely proportional to my expectations. The higher my expectations of other people are, the lower is my serenity.”
By way of example, I once had a client who came in for an unrealistic 30 minute massage. (Honestly, what relief can you really get in 30 minutes? An hour is barely sufficient time to do a full release.)
She stated that she was always tense and could never relax. The sessions are 5 minutes for consultation and client changes, and 5 minutes to flip the room, so these ten minutes are taken off of your hour or in this case half hour session.
Yet, I gave this woman 25 minutes of massage. I had to rush to flip the room for the next client, and I heard her arguing at the front desk. She complained because she thought I shorted her time. This is why she could never relax; too focused on the process and not the end results (real or imagined).
I cannot proliferate the healing process when I’m dealing with hard-headed people.
This is one of the reasons I could not find consistent work until recently. People who are about process are resistant to change. They want the same thing they’ve always had; because it is what they are used to.
So they will be quick to complain about the new therapist that’s utilizing a new, unheard of, painless, deep tissue technique. This, in spite of the fact that it provided the longer lasting relief they sought, loosened them up more than ever before, and left them extremely relaxed.
They complain simply because it’s different. A sample complaint: “She didn’t use her hands!”
Process people live in a loop. Every so often, they come back for a reset, because they insist on the same temporary fix, some calling it maintenance, that keeps them on a really short leash. This is how some businesses get over.
They retain their clients on a never ending loop of the exact same treatments or services that aren’t really working, instead of new products and services that have better results for longer periods. But, process focused people will go for the loop because it makes them think they are in control.
You see Anthony…
This is a hard lesson. I don’t expect many people to get it right away. Fundamental mindset shifts like this take time. If it doesn’t make sense now, don’t worry about. If there’s one thing I encourage you to consider: pressure is imagined. You don’t control the outcome, so don’t even try. Instead, focus on what you can control: yourself, your attitude, and your actions.
I wholeheartedly agree. But…process focused people cannot stop putting pressure on themselves because they think that by focusing on and controlling the process, they can determine or control the outcome. This is why I disagree with your premise.
True champions focus on the process.
No. True champions focus on the outcome, train; and trust that process to get them there. It’s one step at a time. It’s one game after another.
It’s the process of training with the faith, trust, hope that it will result in a win; then rinse and repeat for another win. But, it’s also the willingness to try a different tactic, if necessary. Whatever works because the focus is the outcome, not the process.
The process is the training to be ready for that outcome, to position oneself for the win; therefore the trust is in the focus and the focus is the end goal…the outcome.
Extraordinary people focus on what they can control — the process.
Again, I beg to differ on this as well. Extraordinary people focus on faith; they focus on what they can trust in — their higher Source, their belief in themselves and their passions. The only thing anyone can truly control is what they have faith and belief in, and in who or what they choose to place their trust.
