Process is defined as a continuous action, operation, or series of changes taking place in a definite manner. It is so easy to believe that we know precisely what steps to take to get “there.” We can quickly become frustrated, upset, or give up by sticking to our plan and timing. So, what happens when we trust the process?
I know trusting the process sounds so cliché; we hear it all the time. It’s just another way of saying let go of our plan. It means having faith that things will work out how they are supposed to and, in the time, they are meant to. This can be hard because we all want things to go our way and on our timeline.
At its core, trusting the process is knowing you will get where you want to when the time is right. This removes pressure and judgment and allows us to experience each small piece of the adventure. Trusting the process can be difficult, especially when we believe we know what is best and we want things to happen quickly.
Trusting the process does not mean sitting by and doing nothing. The idea is that we will know what is next when the time is right. We continue on the journey, and when things don’t go according to our plan, we move on and try something new. It’s living as if life is an experiment. An experiment’s outcome is often unknown, and the results give us valuable information. Trusting the process permits us to see a perceived failure as an opportunity.
When I was training to become a coach, our instructors kept saying, “trust the process.” Let me tell you, and I was not too fond of that. I wanted all the information immediately, and my patience was being tested. People who know me well know I am not the best at waiting. I like immediate results, and here I was being told to wait months for the information I wanted. But here’s the thing, I got so much more from the experience of trusting the process than I would have if I had done things on my terms.
Faith in the process gives us peace and calm because we know things will work out. It helps us let go of control and live in the moment. We trust ourselves to keep moving toward our goals with less fear and anxiety. Our patience grows knowing things are coming and the timing is out of our control. We become more resilient with the understanding that things are temporary and new opportunities await us. Change becomes part of our daily lives, and we learn to adapt quickly.
There is so much about the timing being right when we trust the process. Back to that new relationship I told you about in my last post. I met this man when I was not looking for or wanting a relationship. I intended to have one drink with him, and eight hours later, I headed home. The next day I realized that I had known his oldest son for ten years, yet we had never met. I think there were times when we had been in the same place but never interacted. Do you know why? Because the time wasn’t right. If we had met ten years earlier when we were both married, this relationship would not have been created. I (with the help of friends) let go of the judgment that the feelings weren’t real and the fear that I would be hurt.
So, I trust the process and that the Universe knows what I need. Moving forward in a relationship that feels too good to be true and enjoying every minute of it even though it means my heart could be broken. I trust that my business will grow even if it’s not the way I want. I trust those amazing things will come my way when I show up authentically and live in the moment. Perhaps even more amazing than I ever planned for myself.
Where are you holding onto your plan and not trusting the process? Is it in your relationships? Maybe your career? What would it feel like to let go of the reigns and turn over control to the process? Trust that the Universe has your back and will give you what you need when the timing is just right. Where in your life can you move away from your plan and into the belief that things will happen how and when they are supposed to?