The Process Is The Reward

Extraordinary accomplishments come from doing ordinary things for extraordinary periods of time. ~ Alex Hormozi

Getting really good at something is simple: show up for a long time. A long time isn’t weeks or months. It is in the order of years or decades. When you need to show up consistently for that long, you cannot depend on the outcome to motivate you. It won’t get you far.

In a study, two groups of students were given a puzzle to solve. The first group was rewarded for solving the puzzle with money. The second group received no such reward, they were only asked to solve the puzzle. The first group of students didn’t solve any more puzzles after the experiment concluded. The second group however continued to solve puzzles long after the experiment finished.

The second group continued because they enjoyed solving puzzles. The process was the reward. The first group didn’t feel the same way so they no longer continued solving puzzles.

If the process is the reward you can do the thing for longer. If you can do something for a long time then you get good at it. So to get better at playing the piano, getting to play the piano must be the reward. If that’s the case you play it long enough to actually see some sort of progress. Same with programming, Jiu-Jitsu, writing, or [insert skill here].

To get better you need to show up for a long time. And to show up for a long time the process must be the reward.

What I've Been Reading This Week

The Practice by Seth Godin. This post was partly inspired by this book as it is about focusing on the practice (or the process). This particular bit resonates with me:

A lifetime of brainwashing has taught us that work is about measurable results, that failure is fatal, and that we should be sure that the recipe is proven before we begin.

And so we bury our dreams.

We allow others to live in our head, reminding us that we are impostors with no hope of making an original contribution.

Our practice begins with the imperative that we embrace a different pattern, a pattern that offers no guarantees, requiring us to find a process and to trust ourselves. ~ Seth Godin

Showing up doesn't necessarily guarantee a good outcome, but that doesn't mean it's not a good decision. The outcome isn't in your control. It never was. Showing up is and always will be.

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