All Things Inspired

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step!

We know a process to be a series of actions or steps taken in our quest to achieve our goal. You might often associate the word "process" with being a lengthy journey. But just remember the famous words of Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu when he said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

Following a process is foundational in your journey to success. You must embrace it and trust it if you are to achieve greatness in your life. Trusting the process involves believing that the end result of your goal will be worth the struggles you faced throughout the journey. While you may grow weary at times on this journey, learn to rest but never quit.

What does "trust the process" mean? First, to master executing the process you must value the process, understanding it is key to completing the journey. James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, said that professionals stick to the schedule (the process) while amateurs let life get in the way. You must challenge yourself in a way that you can push past any limitations you perceive to have. By focusing on your daily habits, your small victories, and the process of getting to your end goal, you can eliminate distractions.

This may all sound relatively easy to do. But I caution you that it will take mental fortitude and most importantly, patience to drive the process. You can begin by implementing some of these key strategies to help you build patience...

Start with the end in mind - what's the big picture goal you're trying to achieve? Review it regularly and make sure you understand the necessary steps in the process.
Prepare your mind - impatience can drive your mind wild. You must be mindful of this and know when to focus your thoughts to building a positive mindset.
Look in the mirror - tell yourself you are capable, you can succeed. And be sure to celebrate your victories, no matter how small, along the journey.
Remember why you started - many people give up right before they were about to experience success. If you feel like quitting, don't! Take a moment and remember why you started the journey!
Trigger warning - this might help you avoid #4 above. If you exercise awareness, you may be able to recognize the things that tend to make you have feelings of impatience, giving you the opportunity to address them before they become damaging.

Now that you have implemented these strategies to combat impatience, begin to break down the steps of the process into smaller manageable checkpoints that you can accomplish along the way. Here are some bullet points to help you check your progress and reaffirm your mindset...

Remember the vision you had in the beginning of setting your goal. Visioning what the end result will look like will help you focus on the small wins along the way and keep you inspired to complete the journey.
Remember your why - why did you set the goal to begin with? What did you wish to accomplish that could possibly change your life?
Refuse to make excuses - excuses only allow you to justify your lack of determination. It's a shallow opportunity to feel better momentarily, but the fact remains the same, you need to push past the excuses and keep moving forward.
There will be adversity - prepare yourself now that you will go over, through or around anything that gets in your way!
You are worthy - remember that you are valuable and your contribution matters.
Plan B - always remember that there will be things you can't control. Ok, now how do you intend to compensate for when that happens?
No fear - replace fear with faith! Understanding that with faith you know you're exactly where you need to be.
Learn from each step - the journey of the process itself can be such a great learning experience. Embrace everything that comes your way, good and bad. Have gratitude for all that you experience.
Avoid toxic relationships - you may think many are supporting your efforts, but also be aware the world is full of haters and negative people that want to bring you down. Avoid them at all costs.
Belief that you can do it - celebrating the wins along the way helps build confidence in your journey. The more wins you experience, the more your confidence grows.

While at times it might be difficult to understand, I truly believe that everything comes to you at the right time and for the right reasons. It might not always be in the same timing that we would like, but it is always the right time. So, be patient and trust the process. Trust in yourself to execute the process and the quest for success is yours for the taking! That's right! Trust, be patient, and be sure to...

Be inspired! Inspire others!