Don't Cheat the Process
We often love the results, but hate the process. But here's why the process is so important.
A few days ago, I crossed a goal off my list. A friend and I climbed Mt. Borah, which is Idaho’s highest peak.
From the trailhead, it climbs 5,000 vertical feet over about 4 miles. It is a stunning hike. The views are rugged and awe-inspiring. The stark landscape above treeline and the feeling of being completely exposed to the elements are inspiring.
There are sharp ridges to navigate and altitude to contend with. Any one of a few basic limitations—fear of heights, a touch of altitude sickness, being out of shape—can keep you from the summit. It might be nice if there were a tram to the top, but I don’t think you could truly enjoy the view. You would have an experience, but not the same experience that my friend Matt and I had.
Sitting at the trailhead afterward with my boots off, my knees screaming, and feeling the joy of the accomplishment, could not be achieved with a shortcut. There is purpose in the process, and the summit is not the only goal.
Take a moment and imagine a 14th-century person writing a book or giving a talk on remembering to stop, slow down, and enjoy the process. Imagine that person thinking that you could revolutionize someone’s life by slowing it down, making it less efficient in an effort to increase learning or development.
For centuries, and particularly the last century, our goal has been to speed up, increase efficiency, and find the best shortcuts to an end result.
I love so much of this technology. It has drastically altered our day-to-day life, much of it for the better. But it hasn’t come without negative effects.
I believe that the resurgence in Stoicism is a direct result of the malaise felt from a too easily gratified life. When nearly every desire can be fulfilled within minutes, hours, or days, there is a certain bankruptcy of the soul. We become dopamine-high and spiritually deficient.
