WEEK 142: TRUST THE PROCESS

Forget about the results, they are lag indicators. You must train your mind to focus on the lead indicators (process) and the results will take care of themselves.   Taylor Welch

REFLECTIONS (learnings and actions): Well, finally made it after 30+ hours of traveling from China all the way to the US. 

Three major airports, two international flights, and everything in between from taxis, cars, boats, and planes.

This week I want to share with you an insight I had while I was hitting my second wind and landing in the US after our 13 hour flight from Asia to the US.

It of course ties into the ONE thing you need to do achieve any goal, and higher levels of success and performance.

Where to start...

First, I have been blessed to have the opportunity to travel internationally and actually do it quite regularly.

Kind of crazy, but actually enjoy it...the packing planning, walking through airports, and flying of course. 

Now here is the thing, traveling by yourself no problem. However, traveling with a 3.5 and 1.5 year old equals stress. 

The process actually starts a week before we even board the plane. Planning out all the clothes and items which need to be packed. Then, all the appointments we need to attend to before we leave. Also, checking online for our flights. Then....(you get the point).

The day of we need to get the bags completed closed up and weighed so they do not go over the weight limit. Then we call the taxi to take us from our house to the ferry terminal to take us to the airport. Then...

But, I really want to to focus on the actual 13 hour flight my wife (she is amazing) two kids, and I just completed. 

We have this saying that "we will get there eventually, no matter what."

Questions like will they sleep ok? Will they eat the food? Will they cry the whole time? Will they...pop through your head. 

My wife and I used to ask so much more "what ifs" but now have built up a knowledge base to problems we have encountered and discussed what to do if other things were to occur. Then we just trust the process, knowing we do not exactly what will happen, but we will adapt and figure it out. 

Now will there be turbulence? Yes.

Will things happen which you did not expect? Yes

Will you struggle through the process? Yes

Yet, will you make it? Yes

It would be crazy for me to tell the pilot to stop the plane 3 hours into our 13 hour journey and say "can you turn this plan around and take us back as I was not sure if I was going to make it?" because my son or daughter is crying due to turbulence. 

Absolutely not,

Yet, this is exactly similar to what you do on the path to achieving a worthwhile goal or success. You ask the "pilot to turn around" as it gets a little tough.

Usually, you find a proven path which works. ( If you have not done this, then this is priority number 1!)

Next, you get into the work.

Then, it gets tough, you struggle...

Afterwards you doubt yourself, you doubt the process...

Which can either make you question what you are doing, or even worse make you quit altogether. 

Now here is the thing. If you want to achieve higher levels of success and performance, you need to one, find a proven process (vet your choices), but two, you must trust it entirely.

Which means knowing in advance you will struggle, their will be hard times, but focusing on the work and completing the work to get you to your destination.

Simple as that. 

Just like my international flight, I did not know everything which would occur and did not know exactly every step I would take in order to reach our destination.

However, I knew there would be difficult times, things might happen which I did not expect, but most importantly I trusted the process of my wife and I adapting to whatever happened to get to our destination.

Top three activities that move me forward?

1. Sticking to RULES. No results = not sticking to your rules.

2. NMR - ending and starting everyday with clarity on who we choose to be.

3. Being grateful for the little things.

Biggest lessons/learnings and corrections?

Trust the process. Know you will struggle, know there will be challenges, but be disciplined, be committed, and trust the process to arrive at your destination.

A mentor once said "being 100% committed is easy, being 99% committed is a b$&#(!

What are you grateful for?

Being able to travel internationally and provide this experience for my wife and children. 

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PLANNING (Implementation Intention):  You will follow through 2X to 3X more likely to complete your weekly task than you normally would just by filling in the following statement.

I plan to complete the weekly task [day] at [time] in [location]. 

A reminder you might have to use multiple Implementation Intentions in order to follow through.

EXECUTION (strategies used):  From week to week, I use a combination of many strategies. There are always some which are used more than others depending on what comes up, but I wanted to offer a link to all them at once. 

My advice is to identify the I CAN'T statement you tell yourself during the most. Then find a strategy below the statement which resonates with you, and then start using it. 

Enjoy!

STRATEGY LIST