Does this help you become the person who can get the outcome they want?

In probability theory, an outcome is a possible result of an experiment.

The key word in that definition is experiment.

Because everyone is just guessing. Nobody knows anything. Considering life’s constantly changing circumstances, plus the thousands of variables that are always in play, outcome is not something we can control or predict or even understand.

If we chase it, it eludes us. And if we live for it, it disconnects us from the present.

The best we can do is influence the outcome through our decisions, aka, our inputs. Despite working in the shadow of uncertainty, we focus our behavior and try to direct the process in a way that increases the odds of the most preferable result.

In my own personal development journey, I’ve many years practicing everything from affirmations to meditations to visualizations to journaling. And there is zero evidence to prove the efficacy of those habits.

It’d be impossible to measure the degree to which they have impacted my outcomes.

But what I can verify through my experience is, the practices helped me become someone who loves to experiment. Someone who’s willing to engage in activities whose payoffs are not yet apparent. Someone with a strong ability to make decisions which can influence the effects of their work.

That mindset is a powerful source of leverage. It’s less about the result we hope to achieve and more about type of person we wish to be.

The question we need to ask ourselves is:

Does this help me become the person who can get the outcome they want?

If yes, go for it. If no, try something else. And if you’re not sure, experiment with the process until you find what fits.

This is how you work with reality to shape outcomes towards your goals. Whereas choosing, anticipating and worrying about your own possible future is an exercise in anxiety and futility. Expecting situations to play out in certain ways not only causes you stress, but also causes you to have a closed mind about the outcome.

Remember, it’s an experiment. All of it.

We’re all just guessing, so we may as well find joy along the way and grow into someone we are proud of being.

Are you acting in alignment with the person you want to become, or trying to force a result?