Focus on your Process

We're going to talk about goals a lot in this book. Goals as a general rule are good to have as measuring sticks.

Overly-specific goals (like "I want to win an Academy Award" or "I will win the World Cup") may depend upon a confluence of factors, participants and events that may or may not, in your lifetime, converge with you at the epicenter.

That's why it's important to make a career out of your process, not your goals.

For example, if your career is the process of being the best actor you can be, you may reach your goal of an Academy Award, but even if you don't, improving your process is a more certain way to ensure that you're likely to be recognized as someone of authority in your field with a good process than if you channel every decision you make into an academy award, and that's the most you can hope for that's in your control. Once you gain recognition and influence you gain maneuverability.