The 5 downsides to being result-oriented
Most of our actions come from a place of wanting to see a specific result. An action is the means to an end-result we are constantly demanding and chasing. I know you might be thinking isn’t that the point? Why would I invest so much time, energy and effort towards something that doesn’t give me something that I want in return? Being focused on results is necessary, I can’t deny that; but being TOO result oriented has its downsides too. In this article I’m going to run you through a few downsides of being result-oriented from my perspective.
1. Limitations
Focusing on a very specific result or outcome from an action comes with its limitations. What if in our tiny and limited perspective something beyond that result isn’t very perceivable and we miss out on opened doors because we are so focused on opening a closed door. It’s obviously important to have clarity and a sense of direction with what you do, but we have to be open to what good may come our way if we were to pivot from the illusion of a specific result.
2. Gratification
When we put ourselves out there with the need to extract a certain result we built up in our heads we are constantly looking for people to validate us and think the exact same way we think. This causes us to disconnect from the actual message and meaning behind the action and keeps us in the dangerous loop of the need to feel validated and then doing things that will keep giving us that same result. What if we indulged in a process that gratifies us before any external source can? Would you still do what you do if you knew that it had no immediate and predictable results?
3. Self-worth
Being a sports person, I was always taught to be competitive and better than the other people in my team and otherwise. I loved playing and the competitive spirit did have its perks which included me giving my 100% and then some more to every game. But there were times where I lost games and saw other people often times my own team mates playing better than me. This made me compare myself to them and actually derive my worth from the results someone else was getting. As ridiculous as that sounds, it’s because I was so focused on getting a result that I completely forgot just how much I loved and enjoyed the process. Being result-oriented without a proper foundation and assessment of your own self-concept isn’t the best combination and will often lead you to hate the very thing that you love doing.
4. Time
Do you ever feel like you’re constantly running out of time? And with each passing day your goals seem further and further away just because you can’t see anything yet? And then to make things worse you are constantly slapping deadlines into your own face and if you haven’t achieved what you set out to achieve by that date, your entire sense of self begins to crumble because you aren’t where you thought you would be. Deadlines were devised as a means to avoid procrastination and maintain your focus not derive your sense of worth from. When you’re so focused on the results just thinking of reaching that date without having the results in your hand feels so daunting that you just put off the work because what’s the point anyway? The point should always be progress because that helps us fall in love with the process more than just seeking a singular result.
5. Importance
What being result oriented does is put an extreme amount of meaning and importance on a result. For example, if I work hard and take up extra shifts I will be able to earn more money which will in turn help me buy the car I’ve always dreamt of having which will then make others believe I am rich and wealthy so that I can finally allow myself to feel worthy and loved. Once we reach a goal, we will always have another goal we would want to work towards but giving it too much importance makes you a slave to the outcome. You feel you’re the one in control but the result and approval is now controlling your every move. Being wealthy is a state of mind first. Stop putting up barriers to your own potential and don’t let a future that doesn’t exist ruin the beauty of each moment.
I wish someone had told me to be less focused on what I’m going to gain and more focused on what I have to give. You can never run out of things to give because once you focus your energy into the process itself and your actions are not tied to only one result, the field of possibilities are endless. The problem is not being result oriented but the lack of balance between the process and result. Hope this helps you gain some perspective and question the way systems are built.
