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Learning to Trust the Process

By Yoan Torello, Grade 12
“Trust the process.” It’s a quote that we often hear when we are concerned about our future, whether it’s sports, school or whatever comes next. I’ve heard it from many different people: coaches, advisors and teachers. At first I didn’t like the quote. Isn’t it scary to trust the process? What’s the process anyway? And how is it going to take you where you want to go?
 
The first time I heard the phrase, I felt like it wasn’t the answer to my question. I wasn’t satisfied with “trusting the process,” and I was still as concerned about the future as I was before my conversation with my mentors. Personally, not knowing what the future had in store for me was scary, and trusting the process was too uncertain. After hearing it a few times, I started thinking maybe I should dig a little bit deeper into the quote, because I was missing something. I started thinking a little bit more about it, even though it didn’t make sense to me, but I had to make sure I truly understood what it meant. 
 
You may have a different definition of the word “process” than I do, but I define it as a series of steps or actions that you take daily to achieve something specific. For example, if you want to get into a university, the process will be studying and improving your grades to meet the university’s requirements. No matter who you are, you will have to go through those steps to achieve acceptance into a school of higher learning. Connor McDavid, Cristiano Ronaldo and Elon Musk all had to go through what you are going through today.
 
Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts to your dreams. We all must follow the process. If you want to succeed, you will have to work hard, you will have to be disciplined, and you will have to keep showing up whether things are going well or not. You might encounter someone more talented than you, but make sure you outwork them. If you are consistent in your actions and feel good about them, it will pay off. That’s what the process is, and once you feel good about them, then you will be able to trust it and tell yourself: “I did everything I could, the rest will come.”  
 
If you want to achieve something and have it become as natural as breathing every day, you must stack all the odds in your favour. Truly, the worst feeling is living with the regret knowing you could have done more. Think about this when you want to cut a corner, miss a workout or put off an assignment to give it half the effort necessary at the last minute. The truth is you may not become a professional athlete or own a Fortune 500 company. The beauty is this: all that you will have done in the process of trying to achieve your goals and dreams will not be lost. You will have created so many great habits that anything you undertake will be successful.
 
My final thought for you is: Do everything you can to be successful so you don’t have to worry about the future, and you will be able to TRUST THE PROCESS.
 
I want to leave you with a quote by The Rock, Dwayne Johnson: “Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.” 
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