I had a thought today that I wanted to make more money this year. As I sat down and thought how much more, I got to thinking about how stressed we sometimes get trying to reach a goal. As I started to think how I could increase my business and what I could do to increase my services so that I made more money per transaction, I realized that with just a few adjustments to "the how" of my business I could increase my income by 20%. "The How" is the process. If I just paid more attention to the process I could reach my goal easily.
What if we just concentrated on making the process our priority instead of the prize. Whatever the prize is; A new job, Making more money, losing weight, having a better relationship. All of these goals (prizes) are great but I think we spend to much waisted time and stress on the goal and don't concentrate enough on the process (steps that get us to the goal). If your goal is to get a new job, then you should be concentrating on your resume, networking, and your interview skills which entail the process of obtaining new position. If your goal is to lose weight, your concentration should not be on the scale but on the exercise and diet steps. If you are a business owner or in sales (and we all are in some form or fashion) you should be concentrating on Dollar Productive Activities(DPA's) every day. DPA's are activities that will increase your client base and thereby eventually make you more money. DPA's are the most important part of the process for most business owners and sales people. Don't spend all day returning email if thats keeping you from meeting new potential clients. Remember those that perfect the art of the process are eventually seperated from those who do not.
As you set your next goal, don't just write down what the goal is. Make sure you spend some time and write down the steps you need to take to reach that goal. Once that's done, concentrate on the steps, not the goal. If you keep your eyes on the process, the PRIZE will come.