May is Mental Health Awareness month and I will be publishing content that focuses on mental health topics. To read past posts, click on the Mental Health tab under the Dimensions of Wellness Menu.
Hi Warriors! Today is the last of my Mental Health posts and I hope you noticed that I focused a bit on mindset this time around. Mindset affects so much. More than we often think it does, so it is necessary to get right. And, in keeping with my theme, let’s talk about process and progress.
Being a trainer, I am often inundated with progress related goals. Client X wants to lose this much weight. Client Y wants to run a faster mile. Client Z wants to increase their bench press max by 20 pounds. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with any of these goals, or in fact most goals.
Progress, or measurement against some sort of benchmark, is how we know we are moving in the right or wrong direction. Without a goal weight to reach and consistent measurements, you won’t have any clue when or if you get there. Too often, though, we become fixated on the numbers.
Process, is the act of learning more about the whys of doing. Progress is the what or how and you have to have those before you can ask the deeper whys. The deeper whys are where real change occurs, though.
High level athletes often focus on the process of doing. Especially during off season sessions. It is more important to know that their training is more than just a means to an end. In this way, focusing on the process becomes a mindset you choose.
You can choose to focus on progress. And most of us have probably been there when progress is slower than we’d like it to be. We become discouraged, disappointed, and despondent. What we are doing might not be working if the way we are measuring progress shows no change.
Or you can choose to focus on process. The process of putting on your sneakers and going for a walk to enjoy the outdoors. The process of preparing the weights on the bar for a workout. The process of making these small choices more days than not.
The process of doing becomes integral to the actual doing itself. Process becomes something to qualify rather than quantify. I walk because it helps my heart and I like to breathe fresh air. I lift heavy things because it helps me feel powerful and my body is capable.
Process becomes almost an affirmation. Every time we choose the consistency, every time we choose to focus on the quality rather than quantify what we have done, we affirm the action itself. We are able to power through hiccups, plateaus, and setbacks with more fortitude.
The knowledge and insight gained from the process becomes equally valuable as the measurable progress made. In short, when we focus on the process more and the progress a bit less, we are more likely to make lasting changes and meet the actual goals set.
There is value in the process and by tapping into that resource, we earn back in spades. Tell us in the comments what your favorite process to focus on is!
