Whenever I make an "Outcome" goal, I usually fail.
Whenever I make a "Process" goal, I usually succeed.
It's because a "Process" goal prescribes a set of things to do, that will help you reach your goal. An "Outcome" goal tends to rely on hope and bravado which is only marginally helpful.
"Outcome" Goal
Hoping and praying something happens
"Process" Goal
Taking specific steps that will hit the goal
Here's 5 quickie examples:
Outcome goal: I want an email audience of 1,000 people for my origami newsletter.
Process goal: Every Monday for 12 weeks I will put out an amazingly helpful email about origami. I will tell my social media friends about it once a week, and answer every question on the origami Sub-Reddit Mon-Fri.
Why this would (more likely) work: The process goal makes an actual plan and schedule to hit the goal.
Outcome goal: Beat Georgia State in the football game!!! Woooo!!!
Process goal: 6 days a week we will practice 4 plays, 10 drills, and watch Georgia State replays 2 times a week.
Why this would (more likely) work: Instead of just a bravado-inducing statement such as "Beat Georgia!" the "process" goal outlines a set of actions that will make the team incrementally better.
Outcome goal: I want to be in the top 3 sellers of houses in my company.
Process goal: I'm going to knock on every door in the Pacific Heights neighborhood in July and ask for their home listing. I will speak to 10 homeowners on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of each week.
Why this would (more likely) work: This process puts a simple plan in place which will get you working directly with potential customers.
Outcome goal: I want to lose 5 lbs.
Process goal: I will shove a maximum of 1,600 calories in my face everyday no matter what. Sticking to a 500/day calorie deficiency will make me lose 5 lbs in 5 weeks.
Why this would (more likely) work: Hoping & praying you'll lose 5 lbs is useless, unless you have some solid framework to follow everyday.
Outcome goal: I want to get 10,000 search engine visits to my website every month.
Process goal: I will put out 2 amazing, non-copycat articles about copywriting per month for 2 years.
Why this would (more likely) work: Instead of a vague plan and random SEO tactics, by committing to solid content for several years, you're more likely to become a highly ranked website.
Legendary football coach Nick Saban said:
“Don’t think about winning the SEC Championship. Don’t think about the national championship. Think about what you needed to do in this drill, on this play, in this moment. That’s the process: Let’s think about what we can do today, the task at hand.”
Hope this helps you make better goals :)
Sincerely,
Neville Medhora
P.S. If you post your goal in the comments, we will try to make you a "Process" goal out of it :)
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