Patient With The Outcome, Urgent With The Process

Good habits, practiced consistently, create each piece of a great life.

But you don't see the benefits of good habits immediately. They’re really hard to see at first.

Good habits often feel like they’re taking up your time and creating pointless pain, because you don't get immediate gratification.

Reading books. Practicing meditation. Eating well.

These things all eventually create an amazing life by building wisdom, calming the mind, and nourishing the body.

But at first, they seem to suck. Take too much time. Feel boring. Taste less good.

I have a mantra when I want to make progress in any aspect of my life:

‍Be patient with the outcome but urgent with the process.

"Urgent with the process" means I don't put things off until tomorrow. I avoid indulging in bad habits by rationalizing it as "just once." I don't tell myself I can make up for it in the future.

I do my best to take massive action now, even if there isn't an immediate difference in the outcome. Because that’s how good habits work.

They add up, day after day. Drip by drip.

Until one day, you look up and realize what a massive difference they’ve made.

Sometimes there’s luck involved. Some people get great outcomes after just a few weeks. Others have to wait a few years.

It’s good to measure whether your approach is moving you toward your goal. You can weigh yourself on a scale or keep daily track of your startup's key metrics. And it’s good to search for ways to improve that outcome and achieve it faster. You need that data to optimize your approach.

But it isn't good to feel frustrated when you haven’t achieved it after X days like Y person. If you arbitrarily count the days until you achieve the outcome, you will run out of time and frustrate yourself along the way.

So tackle the process. Execute it urgently. Practice the best habits and periodically evaluate your progress. But be patient with the achievement.

If you live by your values, focus on the person you're becoming, and maintain the best habits, you will achieve the outcome.