To Get What You Want, Learn to Love the Process

Let’s start with the premise that success means different things to different people. But there is one thing we can agree on: it requires a journey and it is hard. Sometimes it can be very long and winded; whether you are on a weight loss journey and define success as losing those 5 kilos or an entrepreneur who dreams of a six-figure business.

People say you have to have a lot of passion for what you’re doing and it’s totally true the reason is that it’s so hard, and if you don’t, any rational person would give up. It’s really hard, you have to do it over a sustained period of time — Steve Jobs

Finding happiness in consistency

Anybody who writes online can tell you: consistency trumps talent. To keep afloat of the algorithm and the mass of good writers, you have to constantly make your presence known. Otherwise, you drown in the digital sea.

I was watching a Youtube video yesterday about a woman who started her Youtube journey two years ago and posted 2 videos weekly for over a year before she got monetized. Again, consistency rules.

But in both of these cases, the amount of grit necessary is unquestionable. It is easy to provide advice like stay consistent and you will see the fruits of your actions. But posting on a steady basis for a long period without any guarantee of the outcome requires a mindset shift rather than just blindly posting regularly as the internet recommends it.

The same foundation applies to all endeavours: to build muscle mass, you need those repetitions at the gym, over and over until you see the results. To be a content creator, you have to push out good quality content frequently to see traction. To be a successful business owner, you need to put in a colossal amount of effort to grow the business.

And that resumes to one thing: You have to love the process to fuel the consistency. I am with Steve Jobs on this one, if you don’t find contentment in the different phases of the journey, you will give up sooner than later.

Finding happiness in patience

Because it takes so long to see any outcome and it is hard to identify when that is going to be, it can feel like hitting a blank wall and that nothing is happening. It can lead to frustration and a loss of motivation. But a losing game can turn into a winner at any given point, provided we stick it out.

It is not that you don’t have what it takes. We all do. It is to build the patience to wait for the results.

Because it will take a lot from you, emotionally speaking. You will be disappointed, sad, dejected, and demotivated (your pick from a long list of adverse emotions).

So the choice is really binary: either we take the high road and learn to latch on to bits and pieces of happiness through the process or we grind through it blindly until we see results/give up.

The first option is more hands-on as you have to regularly take a step back and remind yourself why you started in the first place. The second option is more mechanical in nature but has a higher probability of quitting in the losing phase.

How do we learn to love the process?

Sometimes it is the journey that teaches you about the destination — Drake

Passion is important in the journey but as a starting point, necessary. Doing something you enjoy makes the hard part more bearable.

I have always said that purpose is more important than purpose. And that still rings true. I am a passionate cook but I don’t have a purpose attached to it.

I don’t want to change the nature of the food industry, I have no ‘why’. I cook because I like to. If I go through the grind of running a food business, my passion will quickly turn to dislike.

On the other hand, I also love writing and my why is clear: connecting with people and sharing my perspectives. So it allows me to keep a consistent presence even if I disappear for lengths of time, my ‘why’ is clear enough for me to start typing again.

So, in my opinion, both passion and purpose are important elements to sustain your journey to success. And a third element is optimism. Being able to find glimmers of hope in painful moments becomes a skill.

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To love the process, you have to train your mind to see the redirection from the rejections and the lessons from the failures.

Achieving long-term goals with so many variables is a tough endeavour. The fact that so many success stories exist is proof that it is possible, should we be armed with the right tools.

We don’t know how long the road less travelled takes, we each have our own set of circumstances. But if we start with passion, and purpose and build a decent level of optimism, we can put more odds in our favour.

If it is a treacherous road, why not make it an enjoyable one amidst the hardships?

Don’t give up, that door will open.

When enthusiasm runs in the front door, worry runs out the back door — Napoleon Hill

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This post was previously published on medium.com.

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