When you're working towards a specific goal that takes time, it's normal to get impatient. To want to rip your hair out even. In this age, everything seems to be instant; two day delivery for packages, dopamine inducing text messages, and convenient dating apps. Our lives are hyper saturated by things that provide instant gratification. However some things don't come right away. The longer that you have to wait for something, the more you learn to appreciate it. Which is why it's important to trust the process.
Perhaps you've heard this phrase before, but what does it really mean? The big thing to remember is to give yourself grace. Progress is a process. Think of it this way, would you rather have food cooked in the microwave for one minute, or cooked in the oven for 40 minutes? Most often food that takes longer to cook tastes better. It's the same idea with trusting the process. Here's a list of 6 things to help understand this concept.
Recognize Your Work Has Value
Part of trusting the process is being present. When you realize the work that you're doing is important, it changes the way you view your work. Let me let you in on a little secret...what you're going through right now is preparing you for what lies ahead. You have to lay down a strong and steady foundation first. Otherwise what you're building could crumble. That makes your work right now incredibly valuable. Once you reach that goal you're working towards, you'll have a greater appreciation for the final results. You'll also know what it took to get there;"grit, spit, and a whole lot of duck tape" to quote the Madagascar 2 movie.
Have Faith
Faith is an essential part of trusting in the process. It's putting your complete confidence in something or someone. Faith is like blind trust. You don't know what's coming, but you believe in what you're working on. Often we hear phrases like "have a little faith" or take that leap of faith". There's also faith in the religious context. Even though we don't see or understand everything God is doing, we still trust Him. Believing what He's doing in our lives is ultimately the best for us. And so it goes with trusting the process. Having faith in what you're doing is the fuel that keeps the fire burning. It's what gives your project purpose.
Focus On What You Can Do
In trusting the process, we can't predict or control everything that will happen. Letting go of the notion we have control of everything is also a process. We want to control things. We want the outcome to be a certain way. That's simply not reality. While we can't control our circumstances, we can control our reactions to them. There's a freedom that comes from this realization. Through letting go of what we can't control, I've realized how precious the present moment is. We're not promised tomorrow. So how can we make the most of today?
Accept The Stage You're In
When trusting the process, there will be transitional stages. It's tempting to rush through those stages. Change can be scary. But rushing the process can end with inferior results. If you're intentional in what you're doing at each stage of the process, the results will be better. Change is a natural part of life. Instead of rushing through it, we can open our field of awareness to what is happening. Change brings new things to our lives. New things gives us great opportunities to learn and grow. Odds are there are things you're learning right now that will help with the next stage of the process. You don't want to miss that because you were too impatient. It's like reading only the last page of a book. Sure you know how it ends, but you have no idea what led to that ending. Which makes the whole "reading ahead" thing pointless. The same goes for trusting the process. It's valuable to accept the stage you're in now. Pay attention to what you can learn from the changes you're going through.
Be Grateful For What You Have
Trusting the process is a delicate balance between being proactive and being patient. Waiting is hard. It's easy to fall into the trap of comparing your life to others. When you see other people living successful and happy lives, it's tempting to throw a pity party. Darling remember this, you're on a different journey then they are. Everyone is at different stages of trusting the process. As with all late bloomers, you're time will come. Focus on what you do have, instead of what you don't. That way you see your blessings as assets and not liabilities. The simple luxuries that we take for granted are blessings. Showing gratitude puts things into a new and positive perspective. The grass is not always greener on the other side. Here's a simple exercise for practicing gratitude.
Embrace Failure
Failure is an inevitable part of any process. It's also the best teacher. You learn what not to do. Which is far more valuable than having everything go exactly as planned. Failure invites growth and learning. In the long run, it's the ticket to success. Imagine if you had never failed in your life. Would you be where you're today? Or rather did those failures contribute to the person you're now? In that light, failure is purposeful. If we didn't learn anything through failure, it would seem pointless. That's the beauty of it. There's always something to to gain from failing. Take a step back from the emotional part of failure, and lean into the objective, learning part of it. Maybe it's not the end, it's just the beginning.
