Enjoy the Process

Enjoy

I've been thinking a lot about yesterday's post.  I still have no answers.  You would think it would just be black and white, but humans are such difficult beings, I don't think you can come up with a black and white answer when emotions or feelings are involved.  You're always going to have two sides to every argument.

I'm really wanting 2012 to be a very good year.  A year of personal growth and one full of happiness.  I've been reading a book called "The Practicing Mind".  I'm still at the very beginning of the book, but I hope to be able to incorporate a lot of the ideas into my life.  I haven't gotten very far into it, but today I read about, "making the most of the process, not focusing on the product".

How much more enjoyable would things be if you could focus more on the road your traveling instead of the destination?  The author uses an example of grades and school.  I can relate to this as I remember taking human physiology in college.  My whole focus was getting an A.  Medical School was so competitive back then that even students with 4.0 gpa's weren't getting in.  My entire focus was on the grade.  What I failed to see was that focusing on the grade took away from the process of learning the material.  Had I just enjoyed and put more focus on the process of learning the material, I believe the exams would have been so much easier.  Instead though, I studied what I thought would be on the exam.  Huge mistake. 

Another example would be our current waiting period for our accreditation survey.  It's nerve racking to be sure that we are prepared adequately for our survey.  It's on my mind night and day.  I don't have a clue as to what they are going to focus on.  Will  it be our charts, will it be our supply room, our vehicles, our paperwork, etc....   I don't want to just pass this survey, I want to kick some major butt.  I know we have some work to do, but I know we can do it.  Applying the "process principle" will allow me not to focus on the results of the survey, but instead I will focus on the process of becoming the "perfect company".   I will "enjoy the ride" per se.   What good does stressing over the unknown accomplish?  None at all.  

Try it sometime.  Focus on the process.  When driving to work or back home, don't focus on getting there, but focus on drive.  Look around, see things that you normally wouldn't give a second look. 

I've spoke of this before, but if you're a nurse, focus on the time with your patients.  Don't focus on answering your next call light, or hanging your next bag.  Instead, give your time and your attention to your patient.  You have such an amazing opportunity to make a difference in someones life.   I know things need to get done, ie charting, but just try it.  Be in the moment.  If your talking to your patient and in the back of your mind, your thinking about charting, or worried about getting to your next patient, your cheating the moment.   I think nurses and nursing assistants have some of the best jobs in the world.  I worked at FMC (Flagstaff) all through college and I can still remember, in detail, many of the conversations I had with patients.  I'm willing to say they probably made a bigger difference in my life than I ever did in theirs.

Whether it be at work or at home, try to enjoy the process of whatever you're doing.  Don't focus on the end result.  See how much more enjoyable the process it.