What is a Process Goal?
ELI5
Imagine two kids learning to play basketball. Kid A says, "I want to win the championship" (that's an outcome goal). Kid B says, "I want to practice free throws for 20 minutes every day" (that's a process goal). Both want to get better, but Kid B focuses on what they can actually control—the practice.
It's like the difference between wishing for a garden and actually watering the seeds. You can't control whether a flower blooms, but you can control whether you water it every day. Process goals are about the watering—the daily actions you commit to.
This matters because outcome goals depend on things you can't control (the weather, the competition, luck), but process goals depend entirely on you. When you focus on the process, the outcomes usually take care of themselves.
Definition
A process goal specifies the actions, behaviors, or routines an individual commits to performing regularly, independent of outcomes. Unlike outcome goals (which define desired results) or performance goals (which set measurable benchmarks), process goals focus entirely on controllable inputs—the daily work required to improve.
How It Works
- Identify the Desired Outcome: Know what you ultimately want to achieve.
- Determine the Process: Identify which daily actions most reliably produce that outcome.
- Set the Process Goal: Commit to a specific frequency and duration of those actions.
- Execute Consistently: Focus entirely on performing the process, detaching from short-term results.
- Trust the Process: Over time, consistent execution of the process produces the desired outcome.
Key Characteristics
- Controllable: Depends entirely on the individual's effort and commitment.
- Action-Oriented: Specifies what to do, not what to achieve.
- Consistent: Measured by adherence, not by results.
- Stress-Reducing: Reduces anxiety by removing focus from uncontrollable outcomes.
Real-World Example
A writer sets a process goal of writing 1,000 words every morning before 9 AM. They don't set a goal to publish a bestseller (outcome) or to write a complete draft in three months (performance). By honoring the daily process, the manuscript naturally progresses and the outcome emerges.
Best Practices
- Make It Specific: "Practice guitar for 30 minutes daily" is better than "Practice more."
- Detach from Outcomes: Judge yourself on adherence to the process, not on results.
- Combine with Outcome Goals: Use outcome goals for direction and process goals for daily execution.
- Adjust the Process: If the process isn't producing results over time, modify the actions—not the commitment to consistency.
Common Misconceptions
- "Process goals lack ambition." They are the engine that powers ambitious outcomes.
- "You should only focus on results." Research shows process focus produces better results than results focus.
- "Process goals don't need tracking." Tracking adherence is essential for maintaining accountability.