Focus on the effort, not the outcome

We are groomed to be results-driven. From an early age we are ushered through school, from one exam to the next. We are told that the harder we work, the more successful we will be. We are encouraged to believe that there is a direct, linear relationship between effort and outcome. This myth is weaved through our capitalist society because it suggests that anyone can become succesful.

In parallel to this, our world has become a candyland of instant gratification. We now expect to get a dopamine fix straight away. And if we don’t receive it in one form we can find in the palm of our hand. We have become impatient.

These two dynamics mean that we can end up being critical of ourselves and unmotivated. This is esepcially problematic when it comes to committing to long-term projects – ones where there are no tangible results to be seen for a significant period of time.

“We look at the result of our activities as a signal of how well we’re living. But this messes us up because the result is out of our hands. Just as we can only control our behaviour and not someone’s reaction to it.” - WILL SMITH

I discovered this when I launched my business. After several months of planning and building, my online shop went live to the world. The immediate response was a flurry of orders from friends and family, which was incredibly heartwarming. But after these first few days, there was nothing. Radio silence. Two blue ticks.

Don’t get me wrong, I had always known that it was going to be an uphill battle to get that first customer. It had been part of the plan. So I rolled my sleeves and I created Instagram posts, tweaked Facebook marketing campaigns, and improved the website.

But still no results.

It was in these dark moments that doubt creeped in.

“When planting seeds we know that they will grow into plants. We do not dig up the soil to see if they are growing, even if we have doubts. Your faith is not necessarily your feeling about the seeds, it consists in poking holes in the ground, dropping the seed, and patting the ground. Just wait and see God do the rest. Faith is action.” - FREDERICK BAILES

Fortunately, at this time I was also reading a lot of personal development books. And I came across an idea from Frederick Bailes about the realisation of a project being similar to planting a seed. It was eye-opening analogy to me and it reminded me of my faith in the business.

So every day I would water the seed and make sure it got enough sunlight. I would pull out any neighbouring weeds. I would log onto my computer and send emails and start marketing campaigns and make videos. I would trust that the seed was taking root despite the fact that each individual action was not leading to any noticeable change. I told myself that so long as I felt satisfied with my own efforts, I would be proud of myself.

And so things continued, until one day, after a month or so, two orders came in at once. And then a string more in the following days. And before I knew it I could see a little seedling sprout into the fresh, spring air.

I had gotten out of my own way.

In the past, I might have dug up the soil looking for proof that the business was growing. Or I might have stopped entirely out of despair. But I learnt that the best way to work is to focus on my effort and not the outcome.

I got lucky. And you can never predict that.