Choose a mindset that is focused on process vs. results

Caitlin here.

Today, I want to remind you about the opportunity you have, every single day, to choose a mindset that is focused on process vs. results. Speaking from personal experience, I know how easy it is to get stuck in the trap that values the end result above all else. That's how our society runs, after all. It's all profits, productivity, and measurable outcomes. However, I have spent the last two years of my life shifting my own mindset away from this results-focused approach to one that is focused on process. It doesn't mean that I place zero emphasis on the results...I have goals too. But what it does mean is that those goals are not disproportionately emphasized. Rather, I have learned to emphasize for myself three things that, to me, matter more than the results: the joy in the doing, the courage in the striving, and the growth in the failures I've had along the way. This perspective shift has improved my mental clarity, emotional balance and spiritual well-being. And, as a byproduct, the results have naturally started to come, at the right time, with less pressure and greater fulfillment.

So what is focusing on process mean? Focusing on process means putting more emphasis on the actions, habits, and strategies involved in achieving a goal, rather than being solely fixated on the end outcome. This approach shifts the mindset from needing immediate results to appreciating the journey of progress, which helps build resilience and long-term motivation. By emphasizing the process, you will learn to enjoy the daily steps, and results naturally follow as a byproduct of consistent effort. So what are those steps and how can they be applied to your fitness routine?

1. Cultivate a Growth Mindset!

   Embrace challenge and learn from mistakes. Start to see every step as an opportunity to improve, regardless of immediate success or failure.

   What it looks like in class: How can you deepen a practice you've been doing for years? Can you notice an opportunity to improve alignment? To deepen breath? To hold a posture for longer? To try a more challenging version that is just out-of-reach just for the sake of the challenge, rather than about "getting it right?"

2. Focus on Sustainability!

   Results are often fleeting, but a well-developed process can lead to sustainable, long-term success. Mastering a process ensures that once you reach a result, you can maintain and replicate it.

   What it looks like in class: Are you immersing yourself in the present moment each class and tuning into what your body needs that day? If you notice an overwhelming feeling of depletion, by giving your body more rest in practice, you will avoid overexerting yourself and potentially injuring yourself in the process. If you notice an abundance of energy, by pushing yourself to your edge, you will leave class feeling strong, fulfilled and empowered.

3. Reduce Pressure on Yourself! 

   When you emphasize the process, you remove the anxiety that comes from focusing too much on the outcome. This can reduce stress and increase your ability to perform well, since you're less distracted by fear of failure.

   What it looks like in class: There is an opportunity to ACTUALLY HAVE FUN in your classes! When you aren't so focused on getting something right, when you instead focus on deepening your immersion in the present moment and your own internal awareness, it becomes a joyful thing that you get to do!

4. Focus on the Small Wins! 

   By paying attention to the small steps in the process, you can continuously refine your methods. Results may not always be immediate, but consistency in honing your craft will eventually lead to success.

   What it looks like in class: Focus on the crescent lunge you held for 3 more breaths, the plank you held for 10 more seconds, the choice you made to mountain climb right up until the last moment of class, when you told that voice that said "I can't," "No, you can!"...these are the small wins that you need to hold onto everyday.

Think of this process-oriented results like all the parts of an iceberg that lie below the surface of the water. What people see is the small surface of the iceberg, the results that naturally come from focusing on the process. What they don't see is the majority of the iceberg that lays underneath the surface of the water. This part represents the process itself, with all its failures, hard work, persistence, dedication, disappointment, sacrifice and years of effort. But, you need all of those, like an iceberg needs that vast structure underneath the water in order for the surface level parts to be exposed, when the time is right. So today, may this inspire you to be like an iceberg, and shift your focus to the process rather than the results.

See you in class!

Caitlin