I am not sure why I use this as a metaphor but it seems to be very appropriate. Baking a cake, making a nice stew are all the result of following some form of a recipe. When a building is to be built, it begins with a plan, crudely drawn on a legal pad, or all the way to carefully detailed blueprints complete with materials and specs. Everything then has a process from concept to completion. Have you observed a piece of ground that is soon be home to a house or retail establishment? first the soil is scraped.
During the process it does not look like the desired outcome.
When crafting a beautiful cake? the bowl has flour, salt sugar, I won’t go any further to demonstrate why lack of expertise as a cake maker, but suffice it to say, the ingredients including the batter, do not resemble the final desired out. But there is a recipe. There is a process, that when trusted gives a good outcome to even the most inexperienced.
What the process includes
Ingredients
The process for anything includes ingredients, for a cake? flour, eggs, sugar and some other stuff;
Quantities
How critical to know how much is to much, and how little is to little; to be able to be certain that the right amount is being added. One of the key skills in life is to be balanced and measured in approach. I saw somewhere pictures of chocolate chip cookies, and each picture showed a different outcome that was based on how much fat and how much flour were used in crafting these little beauties. (fresh with cold Oat Milk mmmmm)
Instructions
How much, how to combine, temperature for baking (remember elevation variants), timing, temperature; all of the pieces are going to be addressed in the instructions.
Timing
To most recipes timing can be critical; mixing concrete; making bread;
Timing is more and less critical depending on the desired outcome.
Lessons
During the process, trust the process. So many times, the ingredients and the instructions do not seem to resemble the final outcome for which we are looking. At that time, it is so helpful to remind one’s self that if we follow a proven process, that results will be predictable. Most times when the results disappoint tracing back up the instructions we will find a bit too much, a bit too little, or some other area in which we diverted from the process. Let’s make this even more practical:
Building wealth is a matter of discovering the process and trusting it. A desire for quick outcomes might prompt one to veer from the process!
Getting in top physical shape may be your desired end. This is no mystery! So many books, blogs, podcasts, coaches, resources abound. Just follow a process and you can certainly have results.
So funny how we go consult an expert to discover the process, the three easy steps but when we implement the process, we re-invent it to accommodate eagerness or not disturb old habits that have continually undermined our bigger goals.
What is it that you’d like to see made better? Find the process, follow the process and let the results come in! Even a dullard in the kitchen such as myself can create a masterpiece by following a recipe for success.
Anyone Can Do Better
Learn and follow the process! Find one who has the kind of results you desire, learn their process and replicate. There is the certain possibility of improving on that which has been handed to you, but start with the known and then start working with.
Stand on the shoulders of this who have already walked the path on which you tread.