If you know me or have followed along with my blog for any period of time, you know that I am an avid outdoorsman. I specifically love chasing big mature whitetails this time of year. For me, it is a yearlong pursuit that never ends. When one hunting season ends, scouting for the next season begins. It is the process that keeps me coming back year after year.
Harvesting a big buck is merely the culmination of the process. If you define your success merely on the end result, you will most likely be disappointed. Some years you simply won’t get it done and the ones that you do, you will have a fleeting moment of pleasure but that will fade quickly as the next season begins. To truly get everything out of hunting, you need to enjoy the process. Analyzing maps, hiking miles looking for sign, reading books, checking trailcameras, hanging tree stands, etc. This list is endless but each little detail contributes to the process and should be enjoyed by itself.
Chances are most people reading this don’t hunt. So why would I be sharing this with you? This same principal can be applied to your professional or personal lives. Material things and the things of this world will never be enough. Whether you are building a business, advancing in your career or doing something in your personal life, you need to love the process. If you don’t, I would recommend finding something else to do. The peak of any of those things will never be enough. You will never have enough money, never have a big enough business or never advance far enough in your career where you will be truly satisfied. And that’s okay! But if you don’t enjoy the ride along the way, you are missing out.
Let me give a practical example in my life, building my business. I love the challenge of getting new clients. I enjoy each win and learn from each loss. I love meeting new people, building relationships and seeing how those relationships can benefit both of us. I love helping people with the financial aspect of their business and seeing them achieve their goals. Don’t get me wrong, we have financial goals ourselves but it has never been about reaching a certain income level or adding x number of employees. It has always been about enjoying the process of starting and growing a business from the ground up.
Don’t lose focus of the end game. Whether that be reaching a certain level for your business or advancing to a certain level in your company. It is important to have those goals and go after them with everything you have. But make sure that you are enjoying the process along the way or you will potentially miss out on an incredible ride.
