If you force your mind to stay in the present moment and to stay in the process of what you are doing, many of your problems will melt away.Staying in the present in the process is the first part of the perspective change that creates patience.The second step in creating patience is understanding and accepting that there is no such thing as reaching a point of perfection in anything. There is no goal to reach other than pursuing the activity.

Perception Change Creates Patience

The four “S” words are Simplify, Small, Short, and Slow. SimplifyWhen you work at a specific project or activity, simplify it by breaking it down into its component sections. Don't set goals that are too far beyond your reach. SmallFocusing on small sections is easier than focusing on the entire task and gives you repeatable success. ShortFocus only for a short period of time. SlowIncorporating slowness into your process is a paradox. Work at a pace that allows you to pay attention to what you are doing.

The 4 'S' words

"You've just got to love the process"

None of us learn anything except through our own direct experiencesTeach with your actions.Children have much more to offer because we can learn from them if we listen to ourselves as we teach them.Wisdom is not a by-product of age. Teach and learn from all those around you

Teach and Learn From Children

Most of the anxiety we experience in life comes from our feeling that there is an end point of perfection in everything that we involve ourselves with. We consciously or unconsciously pick a point of reference in whatever we do and decide that nothing will be right until we get to that point. By doing this, you are only working against yourself. True perfection is limitless, unbounded, and always expanding.

It's How you look at it

<ul><li>If you are not in control of your thoughts, then you are not in control of yourself.</li><li>Without self-control, you have no real power, regardless of whatever else you can accomplish.</li><li>If you are not aware of the thoughts that you think in each moment, then you are the rider with no reins, with no power over where you are going. You cannot control what you are not aware of.</li><li>Awareness must come first.</li></ul>

The Learning Begins

We have a very unhealthy habit of making the product — our intended result — the goal, instead of the process of reaching that goal. When we practice something, we are involved in the deliberate repetition of a process with the intention of reaching a specific goal. When you focus your mind on the present moment, on the process of what you are doing right now, you are always where you want to be and where you should be. In order to focus on the present, we must give up, at least temporarily, our attachment to our desired goal. Be Process-oriented, rather than being result-oriented.

Process, Not Product

What we practice will become a habit.When we say something is a habit, it means that it is natural way we do something. We do it intuitively, without having to think about it.Being aware that all your motions, be they physical or mental, are habits and that you have the power to choose which habits you will create is very liberating. You are in control.Habits are learned. Choose them wisely.

Creating the Habits we desire

The ego is subjective. It judges everything, including itself, and it is never content with where it is, what it has, or what it has accomplished.The observer is objective. It does not judge anything as good or bad. It just sees the circumstance or action as “being”. Thus the observer is always experiencing tranquility and equanimity.

Ego vs Observer

At any point when you are feeling bored, rushed, or impatient, realise that you have left the present moment in your activity.The next time you feel like not doing anything, tell yourself you will work on staying present-moment and Process-oriented for just the first half hour.Don't try to enjoy it either, because in that effort you are bringing emotions and struggle into your effort.

Progress is a natural result of staying focused on the process of doing anything. When you stay on purpose, focused in the present moment, the goal comes toward you with frictionless ease.

The problem with patience and discipline is that developing each of them requires both of them.

A Paradox of life 

Equanimity is defined as even-temperedness and calmness. It comes from the art of non judgment. Non judgment quiets the internal dialogue of our mind. Judgments are necessary for us to function in life, but they have a downside : They are not executed with a detached nature. The more closely you become aligned with the quiet observer, the less you judge.

Equanimity

With deliberate and repeated effort, progress is inevitable.When we make staying focused on the process our real goal, we experience a sense of success in every moment.Houses, cars, jobs come and go; you, however, are eternal.Take time regularly to review all the things that you have acquired in your life.All things of lasting and deep value require time and nurturing and come to us only through our own effort.

Your Skills are Growing

A short summary to the no-fluff book  about meta-learning & bringing discipline to your life

In those times when we want to acquire a new skill or face a formidable challenge we hope to overcome, what we need most are patience, focus, and discipline, traits that seem elusive or difficult to maintain. In this enticing and practical book, Thomas Sterner demonstrates how to learn skills for any aspect of life, from golfing to business to parenting, by learning to love the process. Early life is all about trial-and-error practice. If we had given up in the face of failure, repetition, and difficulty, we would never have learned to walk or tie our shoes. So why, as adults, do we often give up on a goal when at first we don't succeed? Modern life's technological speed, habitual multitasking, and promises of instant gratification don't help. But in his study of how we learn (prompted by his pursuit of disciplines such as music and golf), Sterner has found that we have also forgotten the principles of practice -- the process of picking a goal and applying steady effort to reach it. The methods Sterner teaches show that practice done properly isn't drudgery on the way to mastery but a fulfilling process in and of itself, one that builds discipline and clarity. By focusing on "process, not product," you'll learn to live in each moment, where you'll find calmness and equanimity. This book will transform a sense of futility around learning something challenging into an attitude of pleasure and willingness.

productivity

Productivity

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

philosophy

Philosophy

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

books

Books

In those times when we want to acquire a new skill or face a formidable challenge we hope to overcome, what we need most are patience, focus, and discipline, traits that seem elusive or difficult to maintain. In this enticing and practical book, Thomas Sterner demonstrates how to learn skills for any aspect of life, from golfing to business to parenting, by learning to love the process. Early life is all about trial-and-error practice. If we had given up in the face of failure, repetition, and difficulty, we would never have learned to walk or tie our shoes. So why, as adults, do we often give up on a goal when at first we don’t succeed? Modern life’s technological speed, habitual multitasking, and promises of instant gratification don’t help. But in his study of how we learn (prompted by his pursuit of disciplines such as music and golf), Sterner has found that we have also forgotten the principles of practice — the process of picking a goal and applying steady effort to reach it. The methods Sterner teaches show that practice done properly isn’t drudgery on the way to mastery but a fulfilling process in and of itself, one that builds discipline and clarity. By focusing on “process, not product,” you’ll learn to live in each moment, where you’ll find calmness and equanimity. This book will transform a sense of futility around learning something challenging into an attitude of pleasure and willingness.

Thomas M. Sterner is an accomplished writer whose work has resonated with readers around the world. Thomas M. Sterner has published several books that explore a range of topics, from fiction to nonfiction, and has received critical acclaim for the ability to weave compelling narratives. Thomas M. Sterner's writing style is known for its depth and authenticity, and has earned quite a loyal following of readers.

Process, Not Product

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THOMAS STERNER, THE PRACTICING MIND

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