Outcomes vs. Processes
In life, we often aim for the bullseye, forgetting that mastery lies in how we hold and draw the bow. In many areas of our lives, we focus on the outcome, not the process we use to achieve it.
For instance, if we are looking for a job, the emphasis is on getting a job, not so much on the process, although that’s also important. The same is true when we decide to buy groceries. Again, the focus is not on the process of buying but on purchasing groceries and bringing them home.
The Fundamentals Matter More Than the Trophy
In our creative practices, such as blog writing, podcasting, speaking, or painting, we must focus on the process, not the outcome.
As Shane Parrish wrote in his recent newsletter, “Champions obsess over fundamentals, not trophies. Stop worrying about where the arrow lands. Master the art of drawing the bow.” Brain Food, November 17, 2024.
Learning and practicing the fundamentals of our craft are more important than the outcomes.
Creative Work Has Uncertain Outcomes
In our practices, we typically don’t control the outcome or how people will receive our work. Outcomes are uncertain. Always. But the process? That’s ours to control.
“The practice is agnostic about the outcome. The practice remains regardless of the outcome.”
Seth Godin, The Practice
No matter how good your work is, there’s no guarantee that it will be well received or successful. It’s often a hit-or-miss situation. When we choose to do creative work, we consciously decide to engage in an uncertain process. No matter how hard or talented we work, success is not guaranteed.
You can’t control where the arrow lands but can master the draw. Are you focusing on what truly matters?
Writing Into the Void: A Case Study in Practice
A friend thinking about starting a blog asked me, “How do you write into the void?” I understood his question as, “How do you write when you have no audience to read what you write?”
The answer is that we focus on the process. It doesn’t matter if anyone reads it (likely, almost no one will when we first start). An audience may or may not develop as we continue our practice.
Practicing writing a blog is part of the process of “mastering the draw.” Whether we have an audience or not, the value is in focusing on the practice and learning the skills to express yourself. The process refines, challenges, and connects us to the work in ways that outcomes never will.
The process is, in fact, valuable in itself. As Seth Godin writes in his book, The Practice: Shipping Creative Work , “The value of the practice is not the outcome, but the practice itself.”
The Risks of Outcome-Focused Thinking
Focusing on the outcome instead of the process will warp our practice and change our focus from process to outcome.
“Focusing solely on outcomes forces us to make choices that are stale, short-term, or selfish. It takes our focus away from the journey and encourages us to give up too early.” Seth Godin, The Practice.
Mastering the Draw in Your Own Life
In creative work, the process itself is what matters most. Success, recognition, and results are uncertain and will always be. We can’t control where the arrow lands, but we can control how we draw the bow. And in the end, that’s what matters most.
The act of “drawing the bow”—whether writing, painting, speaking, or anything else—is what shapes us. It’s where we find growth, joy, and authenticity. If we focus on mastering the practice, the outcomes will take care of themselves—or not—and we’ll be better for it either way.
Remember that the real goal isn’t the applause or the audience—it’s showing up and doing the work. When you embrace the process, the act itself becomes its own reward.