When most people think of the phrase “trust the process,” the first thing that comes to mind is the famous slogan in professional sports.
The Philadelphia 76ers team’s coach made the rallying cry famous among fans, who believe in the process to win. “Trust the process” a common mantra in corporate environments and team projects, in addition to Philadelphia 76ers fans.
It means that if an individual follows through with the process, whether it’s a prescribed plan or step-by-step guide, and trust in it, they’ll see the positive results as intended.
Trusting the process also implies that there will be a stellar outcome by having faith or confidence in the plan, even if it doesn’t appear that way initially. The plan requires patience and allowing the nature of things to occur.
It doesn’t mean you don’t have to put in any effort, though. Instead, it means if an individual follows a specific trajectory and stays focused, they will achieve the goal or destination.
There are many benefits when we trust the process in our personal lives, including a mending a relationship or working through individual challenges that seem initially daunting or impossible.
It’s easy to get discouraged when results are not as expected within a specific time frame, and things don’t always take the direction we expect. When this happens, it’s easy to lose confidence in the process, which only slows progress in the long term.
When you trust the process, there are many significant advantages along the way before the goal is ultimately achieved.
This article will provide the top benefits of following the “trust the process” method and how it can profoundly impact all life areas.
Trust the Process by:
Not everyone has the ability to be patient when things don’t go their way. However, you can build up that ability by doing the following:
1. Building Confidence and Gratitude
Once individuals let go of their regrets and stop fixating on what they cannot control, there’s more time for gratitude.
When people choose to trust the process, they will see the positive results and impact daily life in small, significant ways. One major positive change is how they feel about themselves and the confidence experienced as the plan falls into place.
It’s essential to move away from feeling regret or focusing on mistakes, but instead, learn from them and see exactly how this learning process prepares for a brighter future. It’s being grateful for short term wins.
A positive outlook is paramount to how you progress on your journey. If an individual is too focused on inner feelings of self-doubt and negativity, they will miss out on the present and fail to notice the good things happening right now.
2. Letting Go of What You Can’t Control
The future represents the unknown, which is scary for many people.
In a world full of the unexpected, the idea of embracing change isn’t always easy, but it’s essential.
It’s vital to know which actions can be controlled: how much money is spent, seizing opportunities as they arise, and making decisions for various personal and work-related reasons.
Trusting in the process means letting go of those that are beyond our control such as other the past, present, future. We also cannot control people’s feelings, mindset, and their choices. So stop stressing over each and every situation.
The one thing we can control is our attitude.
Sam Hinkie, the former manager of the 76ers, began “trust the process” and, as a result, became a famous mentor and coach for other professional sports teams while earning a master’s degree at Stanford.
Hinkie initially promoted trusting in the process with Sixers fans, while he rebuilt the Philadelphia team years ago. He has since become the leader of various teams and student organizations.
Sam Hinkie used analytics and developed a draft pick strategy to rebuild a team that became one of the top all-stars in the NBA during his career. While he took some considerable risks, and gambles, including Joel Embiid, among other young players, Hinkie had confidence and trust in the process that his strategy of drafting players from various teams would ultimately create an all-star success story for the 76ers.
He employed a strategy based on various players’ skills and abilities and then left everything up to trusting the process.
While Hinkie had control of these decisions as a team manager, he knew that trying to control the outcome of those choices wasn’t possible. Once he made the draft picks, Hinkie’s plan was to follow his own advice to trust the process and develop confidence in the team’s fans, the team, and the game.
His confidence and choosing to trust the process ultimately led to discovering top talent, winning many games, and proving his ability to lead and succeed.
3. Positive Thinking and Visualizing Success
Many people underestimate their potential and sense of worth. For this reason, it’s essential to focus on positivity, even if a specific path to the final destination or goal seems out of reach.
Positive thinking is powerful in several ways: it provides more time to push aside the past and focus on what truly matters, including existing ideas and what can be learned from experience.
Often, negative feelings are based on pain and difficulties from a past relationship, a rejected work proposal, or an experience that felt like a failure.
Putting positive thinking into practice can be more challenging for some people than for others. Once individuals learn to visualize a goal and see it in its complete form, they will finally see the benefit of this process.
One way to promote this way of thinking is by talking about personal or professional goals before they happen and sharing them with the world with a post on a blog, social media or discussing them among family and friends.
Speak with optimism and focus on the ideas that matter. This technique will inspire other people to follow the practice and set their own goals too.
4. Building Resilience
When people fail, it’s an experience rife with pain and feelings of self-doubt. When people realize that not every moment is under your control, and some things are not preventable, they’ll “bounce back” with more resilience and a renewed sense of focus and purpose, even in the worst-case scenarios.
It’s important to talk about the positive and learn from the past. Past mistakes can be used as a stepping stone to press forward without hesitation.
While individuals increase inner strength through resilience, they’ll see better results and more “wins” in the long run.
5. Improved Patience and Flow of Ideas
One major issue many people grapple with is a lack of patience. It’s not easy to wait when there is the expectation of fast results, even if they will take time and effort. People get accustomed to seeing things happen quickly.
In the 76ers, many players and fans expected to see improvements in a matter of a season. They felt the pressure of immediate success, even though the process is involved and simply required them to trust the process.
Embracing patience gives everyone a chance to let go of more minor, tedious problems encountered along their journey instead of focusing on the big picture. Trusting the process means enjoying the moment, building self-discipline, and renewing faith in the process.
During this time, you’ll have a better idea of what you can work hard on internally to improve your game and a better sense of balance in life. A relaxed mind also improves the flow of ideas and creativity; it gives you a sense of feeling free and improving related skills and abilities.
6. Be Open to Change
Change is a scary thing for many people, though it could present many beautiful opportunities in life.
It’s a consistent part of life, and it’s going to happen whether it’s expected or not. Learning to trust the process comes with adapting to change in the unknown.
Being open to change works hand-in-hand with resilience, as adapting to new strategies and falling in line with a shift in direction will build more vital skills to navigate towards success.
Becoming open to change means having faith that you believe the process will work. It’s a way to free the mind and trust in personal development.
Life works in molding our character by including hurdles and difficulties in our journey. However, it’s essential to know that these are temporary once the necessary adjustments become adjusted to fit the plan.
7. Ignoring Negative Comments and Discouragement
Once the journey to success is firmly underway, there will be many people who celebrate every milestone and step in the right direction. It’s a powerful way to boost morale, especially when there are bumps along the path.
On the other hand, some negative people are eager to talk about failure, either because they are jealous or don’t think they know what they’re talking about and have an inflated sense of knowledge or expertise.
What most people don’t realize is that their words matter and have an impact on another person’s life.
While some negative comments from people may seem to come from concern or worry, they will not help. It’s crucial to ignore naysayers, even where they claim to be realistic or playing the Devil’s advocate.
Often, these individuals struggle with their sense of ambition and want to hinder other people’s drive and motivation as a result. However, when we trust the process, it becomes easier to move forward and dismiss negative comments.
When an individual or team pursues a goal or cause despite negative opinions and comments, they will inspire other people to do the same with their own goals in life.
There wouldn’t be many notable artists, businesses, and sports teams if everyone listened to negative comments. Taking charge of personal dreams and pursuing them while trusting the process will bring success.
8. Embracing Failure and Learning from it
When things go in the wrong direction, it’s easy to give up and not pursue further goals anymore. Every road to victory isn’t without failure, and it pays to embrace it and learn from mistakes rather than become discouraged.
Failure isn’t a lack of success, and it’s merely a learning tool that provides an advantage in the long term. Without making mistakes, people don’t experience growth.
A big part of choosing to trust the process includes accepting that every decision or play comes with risk.
The money invested today may result in a gain or loss tomorrow. Many people find inspiration and guidance when they read a specialized article, blog post, or book on goals, and yet, it’s possible to experience a loss along the way.
When this happens, it’s an opportunity to gain a new perspective and a better way to proceed ahead. For this reason, it’s essential to trust the process, even if things don’t move exactly as planned.
The learning experience is instrumental in gaining knowledge that cannot be found anywhere else.
When Hinkie initiated the draft for new players, including Joel Embiid, there was no guarantee of success during the season. He could have made less risky decisions, though the results may not have been the same.
By taking a leap of faith, Hinkie adapted to trust the process with his choices. Any failure along the way became a point or opportunity to recalibrate and aim with improvements.
9. Personal Growth in Life
When individuals move through the process, there’s a lot to endure, especially with practical plans and goals.
In some cases, the longer it takes, the more trust is learned in the process. In severe cases, a plan is derailed completely and must restart from the beginning.
It’s heart-wrenching, but it can be done by creating space for growth.
Life has a way of teaching lessons when they are least expected, whether it’s a new occurrence or a resurfaced memory from long ago. Though these are often in the head, many people see limitations and have no bearing on the final goal.
Personal growth comes with anxiety, fear, pain, and finding strength during the process. Even a superstar player can go through all these struggles.
With every step along the journey, there will be challenges that shake trust or faith in the process, whether they expect it or not.
It’s essential to stay inspired and focused through it all by reading online posts, books, and words of other people’s triumphs despite the worst.
Find inspiration in reading-related posts about how successful individuals trust the process and have the results to prove it works.
10. Appreciating Time and How the Process Works
At the start, there’s no guarantee everything will unfold precisely as planned.
Trust and faith are difficult for many people to acquire, and it takes time to build trust in the process, especially with long-term, challenging projects.
The amount of time it takes to see results can be much longer than expected. Just as Hinkie drafted Embiid for the 76ers, without foreseeing the extent to which this would impact the team, many people learn to trust the process with renewed confidence.
By learning to trust the process, there’s an opportunity to let go and feel free to explore other ways towards self-improvement and making the process better overall.
It’s also essential to invest in self-care and let what’s happening unfold. Taking this step will provide a deeper appreciation for the patience and time to reach a milestone or goal.
You will achieve what you’ve worked hard for at the right time.
Final Thoughts on How to Trust the Process
There is no battle without hurdles, though adapting to new ways of pursuing goals through the “trust the process” method is essential. Trusting the process is the best way because the end result allows people to set themselves up for success instead of fixating too much on each detail.
When trusting the process is incorporated into a game plan, it creates happier, more relaxed people – the outcome of which are higher success rates.
Trusting the process means achieving improved positivity, work-life balance, and self-confidence. When you trust the process, you have a valuable tool that anyone can apply in everything, from increasing self-discipline techniques in small ways to accomplishing a goal that takes a year or more!
