The Only Outcome That Matters

I struggle with facing the inevitable difficulty that comes with continuously working for something and getting no desired results in return.

I know I’m not the only one, it’s only natural not to be able to keep up the same amount of enthusiasm and drive when there is absolutely nothing telling you that what you’re doing is not a complete and utter waste of time.

Reminding myself of the following mindset shift resets my expectations and refocuses my attention on what truly matters. It re-evaluates the work I’m doing and reminds me that I am, in fact, doing the right thing.

I’m hoping it does the same for you, with whatever you’re trying to accomplish. 

Bad Expectations

It’s only natural to want, expect and rely on the outcomes when you're tirelessly exhausting everything you have into something. 

This is a completely standard practice when the thing you’re working on comes with instantaneous results. But when it’s a big, long-term, difficult goal, it only causes frustration and disappointment.

When you’re new to something, it’s normal to look at the outcome you want as the main driving force behind the work you’re putting in, as that is why you even bothered starting in the first place. 

This, from the very start, begins an open loop of comparison between us, where we want to be, and the people who are already there. Upon hearing this, it’s obvious that this is a bad idea, yet, we do it anyway. 

Take this as an example, let’s say you’ve started a side hustle or an online business, if you were focusing on the wrong thing, this is what you’d see:

This is also what most people will see in their heads when asking you how it’s going, this will be their only measurement of success. 

It’s almost as if we need an entirely different metric to gauge our improvement.

An Entirely Different Metric

To stop this never-ending torture, we must find something else to focus our attention on that determines our perception of success. 

Stop asking yourself what you’re getting, ask yourself who you are becoming. 

Stop focusing on the lack of outcomes you’re receiving, focus on how much better you’ve gotten.

This not only reduces the uncomfortable feelings, it creates a positive feeling as you’re reminded that the only thing worth getting is better.

It’s also worth noting that outcomes are a consequence of doing something at a higher level, and improving at something is the only way of accomplishing this. Getting better increases your chances of getting the outcomes you want, therefore getting better is the only thing you should be devoted to.

It being “a complete and utter waste of time” is no longer viable, because even if you decide to pivot and focus your attention on something completely different, you’ll be going into it as an improved version of yourself.

In the hypothetical example I gave earlier, this is what it actually looks like (and is exactly what I see in my head when thinking of this concept).

The outcome that’s occupying your mind (making money) is only a consequence of getting better, it’s downstream, therefore not worth your current attention. 

Focusing on who you’re becoming, also acts as fuel, because upon realising how far you’ve come, you’re reminded of how valuable the work you’re doing is. This only increases workload and productivity which then has a net positive impact on the likelihood of achieving the outcomes that you’re waiting for.

Who you become in the process is the only outcome worth measuring, so just focus on that.