Results matter, but how we get them matters more

Each of us is accountable for results. At home, at work, at play, in essence everywhere we are and everything we do, results define our efforts. When we win, when we find success, we take comfort in knowing our efforts, our focus was not misplaced but contributed to a desired result. When we fail, we question our actions. The path to both results is best assessed with impartiality. Calling it the way it is, is often difficult. Taking too much credit is as dangerous as taking too much blame. Thinking we control all the factors that determined the result is rarely the truth. 

A binary mindset as it relates to results is not only unforgiving, but also misleading. Once the result is known, it can leave us feeling too good or too bad. Neither is healthy and neither is real. 

How we define success matters. Is it about winning or losing only or is it anchored in being who we really are, at our best, finding success with the effort, the commitment, the focus, the competence, and staying true to ourselves? The latter definition is the one to live by. 

Results matter. They are so important. They direct our attention. They help us learn, grow and find purpose as we navigate the path to them. However, how you get the result matters even more. Were we consistent with being the kind of person we really are and the kind of person we want to be? If we can answer “Yes” to this question, then so many positive things happen.

By pursuing the result as who we are, knowing that this matters most, we have protected ourselves from losing perspective. A result can seem so big, so important that the boundaries that exist to keep us who we are can be breached. When this happens, we find ourselves unmoored and on a path filled with our personal Noise. 

The need for recognition, the “haveta” win at all costs mentality to temporarily bolster our self-worth, the bringing others down to makes ourselves look better, the breaking of rules, the taking our eye off the personal cost this imposes on us and others, the rationalizations that make it seem “right” and so on are all examples of our personal Noise. 

When we go about getting results by not being who we really are, not being true to what really matters, then the anxiety, worry and fear that accompanies us when we exit our path, impacts us negatively. In addition, the result and the way to it are impaired. Plus, we must then continue to worry that others find out what we have done to get the result. Even worse, we must live with it. 

The better way, free of our personal Noise, free of the stress and pressure of the must-win mindset, of being true to who we really are each step of the way, makes for a much more pleasant journey and a much better overall result. Whether we win or lose, we take comfort in knowing we gave it all that we had. Being all-in as who we really are is enough, and allows us to maximize our learnings, as we enjoy the clarity that accompanies a Noise-free process. AND, just as importantly, we learn the difference between listening to ourselves rather than to our personal Noise. 

If we win by not being who we really are, how can we really know what to improve? We can’t. It is better to lose being who we really are than to win being who we really are not. 

Results matter. How we get them matters more. 

More to come.

Home News Now contributor Eric Easter is CEO of Indianapolis-based Kittle’s Furniture.

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