When “Trust the Process” Finally Means Something

When “Trust the Process” Finally Means Something

This morning while I was listening to a podcast, something landed in a way that made me stop and rethink a phrase we hear all the time. “Trust the process.” It gets repeated so often that for many people it has lost its edge. It sounds safe. Generic. Almost empty. People hear it and nod, but they do not really know what it means anymore.

What stood out was the reminder that a process is not a feeling. A process is a system. And every system exists for a reason.

It starts with clarity of output. What do you actually want to achieve. Finish a class. Learn a skill. Make a team. Grow spiritually. Improve performance. If you cannot clearly define the output then the process has nothing to aim at.

Next comes the why. This is where the energy lives. If you do not know why you want the outcome then your system has no power source. Once the why is clear the work feels different. The effort becomes meaningful. The process stops feeling like discipline and starts feeling like alignment.

Then come the inputs. The behaviors you have full control over. The daily actions. The roots. This is where the garden metaphor really hit home. Fruit never shows up by accident. Healthy fruit comes from a healthy tree. A healthy tree comes from strong roots. Strong roots come from good seed placed in good soil and watered consistently. Whatever seed you plant is what you are most likely to harvest.

But nature always drifts toward disorder. Gardens grow weeds. Birds steal fruit. Rodents dig. If you are not deliberate about protecting what you plant then effort alone is wasted. That means naming constraints. Identifying obstacles. Calling out distractions and pressures that will interfere with your inputs. Writing them down. Making a plan for them before they show up.

Then comes measurement. If you are not measuring you are guessing. Measurement does not have to be complicated. It can be simple. Did I do it today yes or no. Or a one to ten scale. Reflection is how you know if your system is working.

Finally accountability. You hold yourself accountable first. But progress accelerates when someone else knows the score. A friend. A coach. A teammate. A family member. Someone who can look at the plan and the results and speak truth with care.

As this year comes to a close and a new one approaches this framework feels grounding. What do I want to achieve. Why do I want it. What inputs will I commit to daily. What obstacles will try to interfere. How will I measure execution. Who will help hold me accountable.

I also keep thinking about how powerful this is for Bella Love. Helping her build systems instead of just chasing outcomes. Teaching her to understand her why. To choose her inputs intentionally. To anticipate obstacles. To measure honestly. To invite accountability. Not just for bowling but for life.

Trusting the process is not passive. It is intentional. It is rooted. And when done well the outcome becomes less about hope and more about inevitability.