Second Cup: Focus on process, not outcome
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Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good morning, this is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's tip is that when you are making goals, focus on the process and not on the outcome.

The process is usually far more in your control. So focusing on that can make goals in general feel more doable. So I have talked with a lot of people about their goals over the years, and I find that many of them are about a desired outcome, like lose 15 pounds and fit in your old jeans, or get an amazing new job, meet someone special, see your net worth cross a million dollars.

Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting any of these things. The trouble is that some aspects of these goals are not going to be entirely within your control. The market might tank just as your brokerage account gets close to seven figures. Unless you plan to work for yourself, you need the organization where you want to work to agree to hire you. And your dream company might be in the middle of a hiring freeze.

Many of us have had the experience of working hard to lose weight and then needing to take medication for something that then puts back on the pounds that you work to lose. All of this can be frustrating. If we are not careful, these setbacks can make us question our agency over our lives. But when we focus on process, not outcome, all of this changes. I may or may not lose 15 pounds.

but I can focus on eating more vegetables and fewer empty calories. I can exercise regularly and get enough sleep. I can drink more water and less of anything else. All of those things might nudge the scale, or they might not, depending on what else is going on, but they will make me healthier, and they are within my control. Likewise, you can vastly increase the chances of landing your dream job

by sending three notes to people in your network daily, talking about what you are looking for. That is within your control. The market can go up and down, and you probably need to be invested in the market to build any sort of substantial wealth. But you can create a budget that allows for emergencies and also allows you to save 20% of your income. You can then faithfully follow that budget and also invest in index funds.

making small orders every month or so. You may or may not meet Mr. or Mrs. Right immediately, but you can set up online dating profiles and arrange to go on one first date per week or so until someone clicks. You can ask everyone you know to set you up with people, and you can put the positive mental energy into this process that it often demands. That is within your control.

have found that focusing on process helps me stick with my goals. Broadly, I would like to be a well-read person. So as part of that goal, each year I choose a year-long reading project. This year I'm reading all the works of Jane Austen at a rate of 10 pages per day. That's not much. I can control whether or not I read 10 pages. And so I do it. How could you focus on process? Whatever your desires happen to be,

Think if there is something you could commit to doing regularly that would help you move in that direction. Choose doable actions that won't be too hard to do. You just might achieve big things over time, but you will feel more in control and feel more agency over your life. And that may be the most powerful goal-achieving strategy of all. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening.

And here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody. I'd love to hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at BeforeBreakfastPod. That's B-E, the number four, then breakfast, P-O-D.

You can also shoot me an email at beforebreakfastpodcasts at iheartmedia.com. That before breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much. I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

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