Spiritual relationship help &
Building self esteem

Focus on the journey, not the outcome

Olympic swimmer Jeff Rouse was born to swim. He started at age five and swam his way into the Olympics.

As the world record holder in the hundred-meter backstroke, Rouse was favored to win in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He won a gold medal in the relay, but the prize for his individual event was silver, which is incredible, but Rouse sought gold. The quest for gold is something only an Olympic athlete can fully understand. Rouse committed to an arduous four-year training program to take one step higher on the podium in Atlanta in 1996.

The non-physical aspect of Rouse’s approach is interesting. He incorporated spirit into his training program.

Rouse hired a sports psychologist who explained a fierce determination to win could keep a person from victory. Note the emphasis—to win.  No one achieves Olympic gold without a zealous determination. Only through intense training can one qualify to compete with the world’s best in a particular sport. The predicament is becoming so focused on the outcome that it inhibits your ability to win.

Rouse’s love of swimming became an important aspect of his training program.

His walk to the starting blocks four years later in Atlanta was different. He found his family in the stands. In 1992 success meant winning. In 1996, he had come to terms with the possibility of not winning. Rouse’s emphasis was on the middle of the race, not the outcome.

The result? His dream came true. He ascended one step higher on the podium. By reclaiming joy in the journey and relinquishing control of the outcome, Rouse won a gold medal.

Isn’t that something? Spirit counts even when training for the Olympics.

Outcome-oriented goals categorize results into win/lose dichotomies. Goals are useful to the extent they provide a plan for moving in a certain direction. The problem is when emotional energy and feelings of self-worth are tied to a specific result over which you have no control. Jeff Rouse’s worth was not tied to the outcome of his Olympic race for gold.

To paraphrase the popular expression “success is a journey, not a destination,” focus on the journey, not the outcome. The joy is in the journey, not the achievement.

This means, in school, the focus is on learning rather than grades. At work, the emphasis is on doing a quality job, enjoying your work, and being kind to your coworkers rather than the next promotion. Driving includes enjoying the scenery along the way. Parents’ emphasis is on loving their children and spending time together instead of raising the best athlete or the class valedictorian.

Life is a growth-process. Nobody masters life. Fulfillment is not in the outcome. Fulfillment is in the living, moment to moment. Yes, plan and prepare, but who knows what curves the future will bring?

The outcome of the Olympics was out of Rouse’s control. If he focused on it, he would be trying to control circumstances beyond his control. Lots of things could have kept him from gold. The only real power Rouse had after diving off the starting block was the result of choices he made in the present moment. He could choose his attitude and actions, but was powerless over the outcome.

The outcome is out of our control, so why focus on it?

Was Dad focused on the outcome of his blind date? No. Did he even dream his friends’ scheming would lead to wedded bliss? Certainly not, but it did.

And so I suggest, as someone who is the product of an unexpected result, focus on the journey, not the outcome. Travel down providential paths. Experience the joy in the journey.

You may reprint this article provided it includes the following paragraph, including contact information:

Copyright © 2003 by Christine N. Karcher. Chris Karcher is the author of Relationships of Grace, Amazing Things I Know About You, and Relationships of Grace Workbook. To order books and tapes, schedule Chris for speaking engagements, or subscribe to Chris’ newsletter, visit www.relationshipsofgrace.com, email order@relationshipsofgrace.com, or call 1-877-GET-GRACE (1-877-438-4722).