This is great JB. It's a critical realisation, but it took me far too long to come to it. Especially in competitive fields, the process is the only thing over which you can exercise any sort of control.
My son came to me last year and asked if we could visit Japan if he got a scholarship to the fancy-pants private school nearby. He was upset when I said no, but hopefully understood when I explained that this would actually be unfair to him, since all he could control was how much work he put in. He couldn't control the performance of any other participants in the scholarship test (not legally at least). But I did say that we'd think about going if he put in his best effort.
Anyways, he didn't get a scholarship. But we're going to Japan because he controlled the controllables and worked his arse off. Wish I'd known this when I was younger. Probably would've been happier. Certainy I would've been less of a dick.
This has resonated with me so much I felt like I was reading a column I had written. (replace screen door with re-grouting the shower recess).
I too am a compulsive comfort eater and my turning point was when I was starting to buy XL T-Shirts. Something had to change and instead of a goal I got into a routine / process of reducing my calorie intake and portion sizes. 15 or so kilograms later I’m feeling much better and will continue on this journey until I feel I’m ready to move onto the next process; maintaining a healthy weight.
It has also taken me several attempts to get to this point. I’m not sure what changed besides being completely exasperated with myself and realising that wasn’t helping.
Focus on process not goal, sound like focus on the journey not the destination. Not the first to say it, won't be the last and above all the trick is as you put it, "the process is simple but hard" so at least we can end on a dick metaphor.
You sound agonisingly organised, set times and the whole caboodle.
Me, I write when I feel like it and knock off when I run out of steam. I don’t plot at all, I leave that to the little gremlin that lives in whatever I’m writing and has planted itself in my head. When I start writing I haven’t got the foggiest idea where the little bugger will lead me.
About ten books ago I also discovered Amazon’s KDP and have used it ever since to self-publish my stuff. It’s a wonderful thing because I don’t have a publisher on my back anymore and I don’t have to worry about writing crap to attract dollars. I’ve never figured out what Australian readers really want but I’ve got fans in the US, UK and Europe to make up for that. The only thing that pisses me off is Bezos taking his cut.
Writing what you like, when you like and not worrying about how many people will read it is truly liberating and might just be what writing is supposed to be all about.
"It’s a wonderful thing because I don’t have a publisher on my back anymore and I don’t have to worry about writing crap to attract dollars". This! I always feel so much less stress when I'm writing indie rather than trad published stuff. It's a different life.
Yes. This is excellent article. The people cannot wait for next instalment of Disappearance saga. The people cannot get enough of Fryderyk Milosz, formerly of GROM.
I have some experience writing shitfaced (amphetamines) years ago and wouldn't recommend it either. What seems to be a perfectly logical stream of words can end up looking, in the light of sobriety, like a dog's brealfast.
I'm still working in schools (in my 48th year! Now casual about it) and I find that, when I'm not timetabled to do anything, ie at home, I get distracted or lazy and accomplish very little. So institutionalised!
This year is definitely my last year at the chalk-face (what's the modern version - at sniffing white board pens?) but I've decided I'm going to draw myself up a timetable (maybe three different day's worth) so I actually move and do stuff (including cleaning house and reading and exercise of some sort) next year.
I might even revisit my one attempt at writing a novel.
I think understanding the importance of process over goal/ending is a sign of deep maturity. Get the process right and the output takes care of itself.
It's a shame we are surrounded by social queues that tell us the opposite: if you don't win you're a loser; buy more stuff, you'll be happy once you have it; maximise quarterly profit regardless of how you do it. Instead, how about: whether you won or not did you improve; stuff doesn't make you happy, a rich and fulfilling life does; behave with respect to people and the planet and your profits will be longstanding.
Like Birmo, I do my best to focus on process, and this has led to a low-stress, contented life that I am grateful for every single day, regardless of whether it's a tough one where things go wrong or an easy one where I can't help but wear a grin. Ironically, the one part of my life I've never applied focus on process to is writing. Seems like it might be time to forget about the goal of writing the book, and instead just sit down and write. Thank you Mr Birmingham.
On the surface focusing on the process and not the goal seems like such a simple shift of perspective but as you've just illustrated it really is transformative.
Process seems like a much more approachable shift than "lifestyle change" or "habit creation" or any of the other horrifying terms around mind set changes that health/well being/fitness/life coach type people come up with these days. Process just is, there's nothing virtuous or moral about it, and it's infinitely repeatable. As an Olympic level procrastinator I'm definitely going to have to give this a go 😊
I reckon the hardest you've been on yourself was hanging at the cross. They were good articles that came out of that. You'd be surprised how well your system will work for fixing doors. We call it incremental progress and it's a cornerstone of my life. Undo the first nut and everything else follows.
Great read John. I don't know what it is about clocking up your half century of life that changes things, but I think it does somehow. It looks like there a few in the comments as well as myself, that came to 'team process' later in life, and now run life by it. I'm not as stuctured as you duing the day, but gee wiz, there are some similarities in the story. Thanks for sharing:)
S'funny, Martin, but in the few weeks since I wrote this I've had my process gently disrupted by having visitors in the house and it has taught me a LOT about just how important process is to me.
This was a good and timely post, JB, thanks for making it. I’ve been working on finding my rhythm again after a bunch of upheaval and a long trip and not doing amazing at it, so this gave me a bit to think about.
I’m curious - do you find you build up a resistance to systems, almost like they were medications? I’ve tried a bunch of different organisation styles and it really does feel like their effectiveness wears off as I build up a tolerance to them. Instead of settling in as a habit it seems to take more and more conscious work to keep doing the thing (pomodoro, bullet-journaling, rule-of-three-tasks, MSCW columns) that seemed to go so smoothly at the start.
This is great JB. It's a critical realisation, but it took me far too long to come to it. Especially in competitive fields, the process is the only thing over which you can exercise any sort of control.
My son came to me last year and asked if we could visit Japan if he got a scholarship to the fancy-pants private school nearby. He was upset when I said no, but hopefully understood when I explained that this would actually be unfair to him, since all he could control was how much work he put in. He couldn't control the performance of any other participants in the scholarship test (not legally at least). But I did say that we'd think about going if he put in his best effort.
Anyways, he didn't get a scholarship. But we're going to Japan because he controlled the controllables and worked his arse off. Wish I'd known this when I was younger. Probably would've been happier. Certainy I would've been less of a dick.
Great life lesson for your kid, though!
And I get to go to Japan with him. We're all winners! Good on you JB, hope you're doing well.
This has resonated with me so much I felt like I was reading a column I had written. (replace screen door with re-grouting the shower recess).
I too am a compulsive comfort eater and my turning point was when I was starting to buy XL T-Shirts. Something had to change and instead of a goal I got into a routine / process of reducing my calorie intake and portion sizes. 15 or so kilograms later I’m feeling much better and will continue on this journey until I feel I’m ready to move onto the next process; maintaining a healthy weight.
It has also taken me several attempts to get to this point. I’m not sure what changed besides being completely exasperated with myself and realising that wasn’t helping.
Guilt is not a positive tool for motivation.
Guilt is an entirely rat shit tool for motivation.
Has anyone told the Pope?
He knows. Oh, he knows… 👹
It turns out that *other people’s* guilt has all kinds of uses...
<grunts & grumbles> yeah ok there is some smart shit in this weeks column.
'Jenkins bring me some banana bread! That sock drawer isn't going to fix itself!'
Focus on process not goal, sound like focus on the journey not the destination. Not the first to say it, won't be the last and above all the trick is as you put it, "the process is simple but hard" so at least we can end on a dick metaphor.
You sound agonisingly organised, set times and the whole caboodle.
Me, I write when I feel like it and knock off when I run out of steam. I don’t plot at all, I leave that to the little gremlin that lives in whatever I’m writing and has planted itself in my head. When I start writing I haven’t got the foggiest idea where the little bugger will lead me.
About ten books ago I also discovered Amazon’s KDP and have used it ever since to self-publish my stuff. It’s a wonderful thing because I don’t have a publisher on my back anymore and I don’t have to worry about writing crap to attract dollars. I’ve never figured out what Australian readers really want but I’ve got fans in the US, UK and Europe to make up for that. The only thing that pisses me off is Bezos taking his cut.
Writing what you like, when you like and not worrying about how many people will read it is truly liberating and might just be what writing is supposed to be all about.
"It’s a wonderful thing because I don’t have a publisher on my back anymore and I don’t have to worry about writing crap to attract dollars". This! I always feel so much less stress when I'm writing indie rather than trad published stuff. It's a different life.
Thank you, John; you just gave me strength to pull back from the bowl of Mentos.
I like this. I do olympic-level gold-plated procrastination - this might help.
I swear I could win gold for procrastination 🤣🤣
Yes. This is excellent article. The people cannot wait for next instalment of Disappearance saga. The people cannot get enough of Fryderyk Milosz, formerly of GROM.
Great to have you back, Sergeant!
"I wouldn’t recommend it, though."
I have some experience writing shitfaced (amphetamines) years ago and wouldn't recommend it either. What seems to be a perfectly logical stream of words can end up looking, in the light of sobriety, like a dog's brealfast.
I like your process. I'm going to adopt it.
I'm still working in schools (in my 48th year! Now casual about it) and I find that, when I'm not timetabled to do anything, ie at home, I get distracted or lazy and accomplish very little. So institutionalised!
This year is definitely my last year at the chalk-face (what's the modern version - at sniffing white board pens?) but I've decided I'm going to draw myself up a timetable (maybe three different day's worth) so I actually move and do stuff (including cleaning house and reading and exercise of some sort) next year.
I might even revisit my one attempt at writing a novel.
I think understanding the importance of process over goal/ending is a sign of deep maturity. Get the process right and the output takes care of itself.
It's a shame we are surrounded by social queues that tell us the opposite: if you don't win you're a loser; buy more stuff, you'll be happy once you have it; maximise quarterly profit regardless of how you do it. Instead, how about: whether you won or not did you improve; stuff doesn't make you happy, a rich and fulfilling life does; behave with respect to people and the planet and your profits will be longstanding.
Like Birmo, I do my best to focus on process, and this has led to a low-stress, contented life that I am grateful for every single day, regardless of whether it's a tough one where things go wrong or an easy one where I can't help but wear a grin. Ironically, the one part of my life I've never applied focus on process to is writing. Seems like it might be time to forget about the goal of writing the book, and instead just sit down and write. Thank you Mr Birmingham.
On the surface focusing on the process and not the goal seems like such a simple shift of perspective but as you've just illustrated it really is transformative.
Process seems like a much more approachable shift than "lifestyle change" or "habit creation" or any of the other horrifying terms around mind set changes that health/well being/fitness/life coach type people come up with these days. Process just is, there's nothing virtuous or moral about it, and it's infinitely repeatable. As an Olympic level procrastinator I'm definitely going to have to give this a go 😊
I reckon the hardest you've been on yourself was hanging at the cross. They were good articles that came out of that. You'd be surprised how well your system will work for fixing doors. We call it incremental progress and it's a cornerstone of my life. Undo the first nut and everything else follows.
Great read John. I don't know what it is about clocking up your half century of life that changes things, but I think it does somehow. It looks like there a few in the comments as well as myself, that came to 'team process' later in life, and now run life by it. I'm not as stuctured as you duing the day, but gee wiz, there are some similarities in the story. Thanks for sharing:)
S'funny, Martin, but in the few weeks since I wrote this I've had my process gently disrupted by having visitors in the house and it has taught me a LOT about just how important process is to me.
This was a good and timely post, JB, thanks for making it. I’ve been working on finding my rhythm again after a bunch of upheaval and a long trip and not doing amazing at it, so this gave me a bit to think about.
I’m curious - do you find you build up a resistance to systems, almost like they were medications? I’ve tried a bunch of different organisation styles and it really does feel like their effectiveness wears off as I build up a tolerance to them. Instead of settling in as a habit it seems to take more and more conscious work to keep doing the thing (pomodoro, bullet-journaling, rule-of-three-tasks, MSCW columns) that seemed to go so smoothly at the start.
The process, not the goal - got it 👍👍❤️