Focussing on the process helps you1. Deal with mistakes and makes you more willing to take risks.2. Gain pursuit of satisfaction. Enjoying and completely being present in the moment.3. Eliminate external distractions and lowers the pressure. It is not about winning or losing but it is about gaining mastery in whatever desire you are pursuing.4. Be IN CHARGE and control of your work.5. Derive Happiness in giving your very best.

FOCUS ON THE PROCESS

Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.﻿

<img alt="" src="https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/25ada2eeb9f4a928875e95bd58f1ce5e?s=50&amp;r=g" height="50" width="50" srcset="https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/25ada2eeb9f4a928875e95bd58f1ce5e?s=100&amp;r=g 2x">It is easy to think that what you need to attain extraordinary success is to focus on results and use these results to measure your progress. However such application of a principle is far from optimal. There is more to success than just looking at results without understanding that at the end of the day it comes down to your consistency and the process involved in getting the job done.When you start focusing your attention and energy less on the results but rather on the processes or the techniques involved you discover that you learn faster, are more successful and even happier at the outcome. Altogether you gain more in life when you focus on the process rather than the results. As humans we are not always satisfied with our present circumstances. We all have needs and wants that are endless that we have the pressure of achieving results always hovering over us. We believe that only through results can we secure a pathway for a better future. But such thoughts can be selfish and overwhelming when you consider that this stems out of concerning ourselves with what others think of us rather than what we should be thinking of ourselves. Here are some reasons why people who focus on the process rather than results gain more in life.<h2>They can deal with mistakes</h2>Mistakes are part of existence as no one is perfect. Mistakes help you learn and grow in life. When you are focused on a specific desired result you are less willing to experiment or take risks that may just propel you to a better outcome than the one you were actually aiming for. <h2>They gain satisfaction in the pursuit</h2>Success is a journey rather than a destination. When you are focused on the process you really are excited about being in the present and enjoying it more fully. You are engaged and you want to dig deep at those opportunities and avenues you can, because at the end of the day it becomes about learning faster and gaining experience.<h2>They have fewer distractions</h2>Let’s face it, there is pressure when it comes to delivering results. You really want to prove a point and you are sort of steamed to cut corners if you have to just to achieve results. When you focus on the process you eliminate the noise of external factors. There is less pressure. It is not about winning or losing but it is about gaining mastery in whatever desire you are pursuing. You are not disturbed. It is not really about satisfying the external factors but rather about conquering you. <h2>They are in charge</h2>Focusing on results puts you in partial control of whether you reach it or not. There are things working against you, time, health, support group, competition… the list is endless. You just have to deliver. But when you do not have the challenge of getting results hovering, you have an internal locus of control that leads to higher self-esteem, empowerment and all together success. This gives you a more meaningful life.<h2>They derive happiness in giving their very best</h2>There is happiness in enjoying the fruit of your labor. That is what focusing on the process gives you. Things in life may not actually turn out the way you want to but you are happy that you dedicated yourself to the process and won within. There is no point in predicating your success on only a specific outcome, this will only lead to frustration and disappointment. Rather than allowing your happiness to be contingent on you attaining a particular result, let your happiness be dependent on how much you have worked to reach your goal. Published on May 18, 2021We have two ears and one mouth for a reason—effective communication is dependent on using them in proportion, and this involves having good listening skills.The workplace of the 21st century may not look the same as it did before COVID-19 spread throughout the world like wildfire, but that doesn’t mean you can relax your standards at work. If anything, Zoom meetings, conference calls, and the continuous time spent behind a screen have created a higher level of expectations for meeting etiquette and communication. And this goes further than simply muting your microphone during a meeting.Effective workplace communication has been a topic of discussion for decades, yet, it is rarely addressed or implemented due to a lack of awareness and personal ownership by all parties.Effective communication isn’t just about speaking clearly or finding the appropriate choice of words. It starts with intentional listening and being present. Here’s how to improve your listening skills for effective workplace communication.<h2>Listen to Understand, Not to Speak</h2>
There are stark differences between listening and hearing. Listening involves intention, focused effort, and concentration, whereas hearing simply involves low-level awareness that someone else is speaking. Listening is a voluntary activity that allows one to be present and in the moment while hearing is passive and effortless.[1]Which one would you prefer your colleagues to implement during your company-wide presentation? It’s a no-brainer. Listening can be one of the most powerful tools in your communication arsenal because one must listen to understand the message being told to them. As a result of this deeper understanding, communication can be streamlined because there is a higher level of comprehension that will facilitate practical follow-up questions, conversations, and problem-solving. And just because you heard something doesn’t mean you actually understood it.We take this for granted daily, but that doesn’t mean we can use that as an excuse.Your brain is constantly scanning your environment for threats, opportunities, and situations to advance your ability to promote your survival. And yet, while we are long past the days of worrying about being eaten by wildlife, the neurocircuitry responsible for these mechanisms is still hard-wired into our psychology and neural processing.A classic example of this is the formation of memories. Case in point: where were you on June 3rd, 2014? For most of you reading this article, your mind will go completely blank, which isn’t necessarily bad.The brain is far too efficient to retain every detail about every event that happens in your life, mainly because many events that occur aren’t always that important. The brain doesn’t—and shouldn’t—care what you ate for lunch three weeks ago or what color shirt you wore golfing last month. But for those of you who remember where you were on June 3rd, 2014, this date probably holds some sort of significance to you. Maybe it was a birthday or an anniversary. Perhaps it was the day your child was born. It could have even been a day where you lost someone special in your life.Regardless of the circumstance, the brain is highly stimulated through emotion and engagement, which is why memories are usually stored in these situations. When the brain’s emotional centers become activated, the brain is far more likely to remember an event.[2] And this is also true when intention and focus are applied to listening to a conversation. Utilizing these hard-wired primitive pathways of survival to optimize your communication in the workplace is a no-brainer—literally and figuratively.<a href="https://www.lifehack.org/articles/featured/the-power-of-intentional-attention.html" rel="noopener" dir="ltr">Intentional focus</a> and concentrated efforts will pay off in the long run because you will retain more information and have an easier time recalling it down the road, making you look like a superstar in front of your colleagues and co-workers. Time to kiss those note-taking days away!
<h2>Effective Communication Isn’t Always Through Words</h2>
While we typically associate communication with words and verbal affirmations, communication can come in all shapes and forms. In the Zoom meeting era we live in, it has become far more challenging to utilize and understand these other forms of language. And this is because they are typically easier to see when we are sitting face to face with the person we speak to.[3]Body language can play a significant role in how our words and communication are interpreted, especially when there is a disconnection involved.[4] When someone tells you one thing, yet their body language screams something completely different, it’s challenging to let that go. Our brain immediately starts to search for more information and inevitably prompts us to follow up with questions that will provide greater clarity to the situation at hand. And in all reality, not saying something might be just as important as actually saying something.These commonly overlooked non-verbal communication choices can provide a plethora of information about the intentions, emotions, and motivations. We do this unconsciously, and it happens with every confrontation, conversation, and interaction we engage in. The magic lies in the utilization and active interpretation of these signals to improve your listening skills and your communication skills.Our brains were designed for interpreting our world, which is why we are so good at recognizing subtle nuances and underlying disconnect within our casual encounters. So, when we begin to notice conflicting messages between verbal and non-verbal communication, our brain takes us down a path of troubleshooting. Which messages are consistent with this theme over time? Which statements aren’t aligning with what they’re really trying to tell me? How should I interpret their words and body language?Suppose we want to break things down even further. In that case, one must understand that body language is usually a subconscious event, meaning that we rarely think about our body language. This happens because our brain’s primary focus is to string together words and phrases for verbal communication, which usually requires a higher level of processing. This doesn’t mean that body language will always tell the truth, but it does provide clues to help us weigh information, which can be pretty beneficial in the long run.Actively <a href="https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/top-20-body-language-indicators.html" rel="noopener" dir="ltr">interpreting body language</a> can provide you with an edge in your communication skills. It can also be used as a tool to connect with the individual you are speaking to. This process is deeply ingrained into our human fabric and utilizes similar methods babies use while learning new skills from their parents’ traits during the early years of development.Mirroring a person’s posture or stance can create a subtle bond, facilitating a sense of feeling like one another. This process is triggered via the activation of specific brain regions through the stimulation of specialized neurons called mirror neurons.[5] These particular neurons become activated while watching an individual engage in an activity or task, facilitating learning, queuing, and understanding. They also allow the person watching an action to become more efficient at physically executing the action, creating changes in the brain, and altering the overall structure of the brain to enhance output for that chosen activity.Listening with intention can make you understand your colleague, and when paired together with mirroring body language, you can make your colleague feel like you two are alike. This simple trick can facilitate a greater bond of understanding and communication within all aspects of the conversation.
<h2>Eliminate All Distractions, Once and for All</h2>
As Jim Rohn says, “What is easy to do is also easy not to do.” And this is an underlying principle that will carry through in all aspects of communication. <a href="https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/10-critical-tips-prevent-distraction-and-sharpen-your-focus.html" rel="noopener" dir="ltr">Distractions</a> are a surefire way to ensure a lack of understanding or interpretation of a conversation, which in turn, will create inefficiencies and a poor foundation for communication. This should come as no surprise, especially in this day in age where people are constantly distracted by social media, text messaging, and endlessly checking their emails. We’re stuck in a cultural norm that has hijacked our love for the addictive dopamine rush and altered our ability to truly focus our efforts on the task at hand. And these distractions aren’t just distractions for the time they’re being used. They use up coveted brainpower and central processes that secondarily delay our ability to get back on track.Gloria Mark, a researcher at UC Irvine, discovered that it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds for our brains to reach their peak state of focus after an interruption.[6] Yes, you read that correctly—distractions are costly, error-prone, and yield little to no benefit outside of a bump to the ego when receiving a new like on your social media profile.Meetings should implement a no-phone policy, video conference calls should be set on their own browser with no other tabs open, and all updates, notifications, and email prompt should be immediately turned off, if possible, to eliminate all distractions during a meeting.These are just a few examples of how we can optimize our environment to facilitate the highest levels of communication within the workplace.
<h2>Actions Speak Louder Than Words</h2>
Effective communication in the workplace doesn’t have to be challenging, but it does have to be intentional. Knowledge can only take us so far, but once again, knowing something is very different than putting it into action.Just like riding a bike, the more often you do it, the easier it becomes. Master communicators are phenomenal listeners, which allows them to be effective communicators in the workplace and in life. If you genuinely want to own your communication, you must implement this information today and learn how to improve your listening skills. Choose your words carefully, listen intently, and most of all, be present in the moment—because that’s what master communicators do, and you can do it, too!

It is easy to think that what you need to attain extraordinary success is to focus on results and use these results to measure your progress.

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

It is easy to think that what you need to attain extraordinary success is to focus on results and use these results to measure your progress. However such application of a principle is far from optimal. There is more to success than just looking at results without understanding that at the end of the day it comes down to your consistency and the process involved in getting the job done.

When you start focusing your attention and energy less on the results but rather on the processes or the techniques involved you discover that you learn faster, are more successful and even happier at the outcome. Altogether you gain more in life when you focus on the process rather than the results.

As humans we are not always satisfied with our present circumstances. We all have needs and wants that are endless that we have the pressure of achieving results always hovering over us. We believe that only through results can we secure a pathway for a better future. But such thoughts can be selfish and overwhelming when you consider that this stems out of concerning ourselves with what others think of us rather than what we should be thinking of ourselves. Here are some reasons why people who focus on the process rather than results gain more in life.

Mistakes are part of existence as no one is perfect. Mistakes help you learn and grow in life. When you are focused on a specific desired result you are less willing to experiment or take risks that may just propel you to a better outcome than the one you were actually aiming for.

Success is a journey rather than a destination. When you are focused on the process you really are excited about being in the present and enjoying it more fully. You are engaged and you want to dig deep at those opportunities and avenues you can, because at the end of the day it becomes about learning faster and gaining experience.

Let’s face it, there is pressure when it comes to delivering results. You really want to prove a point and you are sort of steamed to cut corners if you have to just to achieve results. When you focus on the process you eliminate the noise of external factors. There is less pressure. It is not about winning or losing but it is about gaining mastery in whatever desire you are pursuing. You are not disturbed. It is not really about satisfying the external factors but rather about conquering you.

Focusing on results puts you in partial control of whether you reach it or not. There are things working against you, time, health, support group, competition… the list is endless. You just have to deliver. But when you do not have the challenge of getting results hovering, you have an internal locus of control that leads to higher self-esteem, empowerment and all together success. This gives you a more meaningful life.

They derive happiness in giving their very best

There is happiness in enjoying the fruit of your labor. That is what focusing on the process gives you. Things in life may not actually turn out the way you want to but you are happy that you dedicated yourself to the process and won within. There is no point in predicating your success on only a specific outcome, this will only lead to frustration and disappointment. Rather than allowing your happiness to be contingent on you attaining a particular result, let your happiness be dependent on how much you have worked to reach your goal.

We have two ears and one mouth for a reason—effective communication is dependent on using them in proportion, and this involves having good listening skills.

The workplace of the 21st century may not look the same as it did before COVID-19 spread throughout the world like wildfire, but that doesn’t mean you can relax your standards at work. If anything, Zoom meetings, conference calls, and the continuous time spent behind a screen have created a higher level of expectations for meeting etiquette and communication. And this goes further than simply muting your microphone during a meeting.

Effective workplace communication has been a topic of discussion for decades, yet, it is rarely addressed or implemented due to a lack of awareness and personal ownership by all parties.

Effective communication isn’t just about speaking clearly or finding the appropriate choice of words. It starts with intentional listening and being present. Here’s how to improve your listening skills for effective workplace communication.

There are stark differences between listening and hearing. Listening involves intention, focused effort, and concentration, whereas hearing simply involves low-level awareness that someone else is speaking. Listening is a voluntary activity that allows one to be present and in the moment while hearing is passive and effortless.[1]

Which one would you prefer your colleagues to implement during your company-wide presentation? It’s a no-brainer.

Listening can be one of the most powerful tools in your communication arsenal because one must listen to understand the message being told to them. As a result of this deeper understanding, communication can be streamlined because there is a higher level of comprehension that will facilitate practical follow-up questions, conversations, and problem-solving. And just because you heard something doesn’t mean you actually understood it.

We take this for granted daily, but that doesn’t mean we can use that as an excuse.

Your brain is constantly scanning your environment for threats, opportunities, and situations to advance your ability to promote your survival. And yet, while we are long past the days of worrying about being eaten by wildlife, the neurocircuitry responsible for these mechanisms is still hard-wired into our psychology and neural processing.

A classic example of this is the formation of memories. Case in point: where were you on June 3rd, 2014? For most of you reading this article, your mind will go completely blank, which isn’t necessarily bad.

The brain is far too efficient to retain every detail about every event that happens in your life, mainly because many events that occur aren’t always that important. The brain doesn’t—and shouldn’t—care what you ate for lunch three weeks ago or what color shirt you wore golfing last month. But for those of you who remember where you were on June 3rd, 2014, this date probably holds some sort of significance to you. Maybe it was a birthday or an anniversary. Perhaps it was the day your child was born. It could have even been a day where you lost someone special in your life.

Regardless of the circumstance, the brain is highly stimulated through emotion and engagement, which is why memories are usually stored in these situations. When the brain’s emotional centers become activated, the brain is far more likely to remember an event.[2] And this is also true when intention and focus are applied to listening to a conversation.

Utilizing these hard-wired primitive pathways of survival to optimize your communication in the workplace is a no-brainer—literally and figuratively.

<a href="https://www.lifehack.org/articles/featured/the-power-of-intentional-attention.html">Intentional focus </a>and concentrated efforts will pay off in the long run because you will retain more information and have an easier time recalling it down the road, making you look like a superstar in front of your colleagues and co-workers. Time to kiss those note-taking days away!

Effective Communication Isn’t Always Through Words

While we typically associate communication with words and verbal affirmations, communication can come in all shapes and forms. In the Zoom meeting era we live in, it has become far more challenging to utilize and understand these other forms of language. And this is because they are typically easier to see when we are sitting face to face with the person we speak to.[3]

Body language can play a significant role in how our words and communication are interpreted, especially when there is a disconnection involved.[4] When someone tells you one thing, yet their body language screams something completely different, it’s challenging to let that go. Our brain immediately starts to search for more information and inevitably prompts us to follow up with questions that will provide greater clarity to the situation at hand. And in all reality, not saying something might be just as important as actually saying something.

These commonly overlooked non-verbal communication choices can provide a plethora of information about the intentions, emotions, and motivations. We do this unconsciously, and it happens with every confrontation, conversation, and interaction we engage in. The magic lies in the utilization and active interpretation of these signals to improve your listening skills and your communication skills.

Our brains were designed for interpreting our world, which is why we are so good at recognizing subtle nuances and underlying disconnect within our casual encounters. So, when we begin to notice conflicting messages between verbal and non-verbal communication, our brain takes us down a path of troubleshooting.

Which messages are consistent with this theme over time? Which statements aren’t aligning with what they’re really trying to tell me? How should I interpret their words and body language?

Suppose we want to break things down even further. In that case, one must understand that body language is usually a subconscious event, meaning that we rarely think about our body language. This happens because our brain’s primary focus is to string together words and phrases for verbal communication, which usually requires a higher level of processing. This doesn’t mean that body language will always tell the truth, but it does provide clues to help us weigh information, which can be pretty beneficial in the long run.

Actively <a href="https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/top-20-body-language-indicators.html">interpreting body language </a>can provide you with an edge in your communication skills. It can also be used as a tool to connect with the individual you are speaking to. This process is deeply ingrained into our human fabric and utilizes similar methods babies use while learning new skills from their parents’ traits during the early years of development.

Mirroring a person’s posture or stance can create a subtle bond, facilitating a sense of feeling like one another. This process is triggered via the activation of specific brain regions through the stimulation of specialized neurons called mirror neurons.[5] These particular neurons become activated while watching an individual engage in an activity or task, facilitating learning, queuing, and understanding. They also allow the person watching an action to become more efficient at physically executing the action, creating changes in the brain, and altering the overall structure of the brain to enhance output for that chosen activity.

Listening with intention can make you understand your colleague, and when paired together with mirroring body language, you can make your colleague feel like you two are alike. This simple trick can facilitate a greater bond of understanding and communication within all aspects of the conversation.

Eliminate All Distractions, Once and for All

As Jim Rohn says, “What is easy to do is also easy not to do.” And this is an underlying principle that will carry through in all aspects of communication. <a href="https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/10-critical-tips-prevent-distraction-and-sharpen-your-focus.html">Distractions </a>are a surefire way to ensure a lack of understanding or interpretation of a conversation, which in turn, will create inefficiencies and a poor foundation for communication.

This should come as no surprise, especially in this day in age where people are constantly distracted by social media, text messaging, and endlessly checking their emails. We’re stuck in a cultural norm that has hijacked our love for the addictive dopamine rush and altered our ability to truly focus our efforts on the task at hand. And these distractions aren’t just distractions for the time they’re being used. They use up coveted brainpower and central processes that secondarily delay our ability to get back on track.

Gloria Mark, a researcher at UC Irvine, discovered that it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds for our brains to reach their peak state of focus after an interruption.[6] Yes, you read that correctly—distractions are costly, error-prone, and yield little to no benefit outside of a bump to the ego when receiving a new like on your social media profile.

Meetings should implement a no-phone policy, video conference calls should be set on their own browser with no other tabs open, and all updates, notifications, and email prompt should be immediately turned off, if possible, to eliminate all distractions during a meeting.

These are just a few examples of how we can optimize our environment to facilitate the highest levels of communication within the workplace.

Effective communication in the workplace doesn’t have to be challenging, but it does have to be intentional. Knowledge can only take us so far, but once again, knowing something is very different than putting it into action.

Just like riding a bike, the more often you do it, the easier it becomes. Master communicators are phenomenal listeners, which allows them to be effective communicators in the workplace and in life. If you genuinely want to own your communication, you must implement this information today and learn how to improve your listening skills.

Choose your words carefully, listen intently, and most of all, be present in the moment—because that’s what master communicators do, and you can do it, too!

Why People Who Focus More On Processes Than Outcomes Gain More In Their Life

FOCUS ON THE PROCESS

ARTHUR ASHE

CURATED BY

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