Process

Where does one find satisfaction, in the journey or the destination?  I think when I began my career, my focus was primarily on the end product.  Sure, I followed design procedures but they were just a means to the desired end.  Getting there was what mattered.  At least, that's how I used to feel.  Somewhere along the way, I started thinking about the steps I was taking to get to my goal.  I began to study each one, looking at whether it could be improved or eliminated.  Now, I find that I am much more interested in the process than the end product.  It's the process that, if it's a good one, lives on after the product is finished.

I like processes if they are good ones.  I enjoy trying to improve and refine existing processes when it makes sense.  I have little tolerance for what I believe to be an ineffective process and I will resist following it.  I recently met someone who is a dedicated process follower.  This person places adherence to the process above achievement of the end goal.  If the process has fourteen steps and occasionally the end goal is realized after step three, it doesn't matter.  Steps four through fourteen must still be followed.  This type of inefficiency makes me cringe.

This focus on process carries over to my personal life as well.  I enjoy doing sudoku puzzles but I'm less interested in finishing the puzzle than I am in understanding the specific techniques used along the way.  I'm happy (even a little smug) when I stumble upon an approach I hadn't used before.  It is at that point that I feel the most satisfaction.  Finishing the actual puzzle often becomes a bit tedious once a few key elements are solved.

It is good to be a process lover if you have children.  I can imagine my sons grown up but I would rather not have that day come too soon.  I prefer to immerse myself in the day to day, reveling in the tiny changes and how they come about.  When I do allow myself to step back, I am always amazed at how much they have changed in a short time.  I admit this realization leaves me feeling conflicted.  I am grateful, happy and proud that they are growing and changing but I'm also keenly aware that this portion of our journey together is fleeting and I will miss it when it is over.  In reality, our relationship has been evolving and maturing since the beginning and will hopefully continue to do so even when they're adults.  In some respects, this is a process that has no end.