Master the Ordinary_Pt. 2

Fall in Love With the Process

We live in a culture that loves quick results.

Everyone wants growth, success, influence, and impact. Goals are important, and I believe leaders should absolutely have them. But over the years I’ve learned something very important: more important than the goal is the process.

The process is what carries you to the goal.

You can have great goals, but if you don’t have a plan, a strategy, and a routine, those goals will never become reality. Real growth doesn’t happen overnight. It happens over time through consistent, daily effort.

If you want to succeed in leadership, business, or ministry, you must learn to fall in love with the process.

The Power of the Process

I like boxing. When I was in high school, I was on the boxing team and my sparring partner was the Golden Gloves champion of our state. I’ve followed boxing for many years, and one fighter always fascinated me—Rocky Marciano.

Rocky Marciano retired undefeated. Think about that. In professional boxing he never lost a fight.

When people asked him the secret to his success, he didn’t talk about the ring or the spotlight. He said something powerful. He said he fell in love with the gym.

That’s the process.

He understood that if he committed himself to the hard work of preparation, the fight would take care of itself.

The same is true in leadership. Don’t just love the spotlight. Don’t just love the results. Fall in love with the preparation that produces the results.

My Early Days in St. Louis

When I first came to St. Louis over four decades ago to plant Church on the Rock, we started with just 35 people. We met in a library and later in a Holiday Inn. We had no building, no staff, no office, and no computers.

But every morning I would get up, put on a suit, and go down to my small office in the basement of our home. I would study and pray all morning.

Why did I do that?

Because I was getting a picture of who I was becoming.

Even though the church was small at the time, I knew one day I would stand before many people and lead something significant. So I began preparing for that future long before anyone else could see it.

I acted like it was so when it wasn’t yet so—so that one day it could become so.

That’s the process.

Three Questions Every Leader Must Answer

If you’re going to develop a strong process for your life, there are three important questions you must answer.

Who do you want to be?
Character and personal growth come first.

What do you want to do?
What impact do you want to make? Who are you called to help?

What do you want to have?
What kind of results are you believing for in the future?

Once you answer those questions, you can begin developing the daily habits that will take you there.

Focus on Effort

One thing I’ve learned over the years is this: don’t focus only on results—focus on effort.

Ask yourself:
Am I giving today my full effort?

Am I bringing energy and discipline to what God has placed in my hands?

Success rarely comes from doing things halfway. It comes from consistent, focused effort over time.

Growth Requires Stretching

Every great step forward in my life required risk. Every time I moved to another level, it stretched me.

Your process must stretch you.

Just like in physical training, growth happens when you push past your comfort zone. The same is true in leadership and personal development. If you want to grow, you must be willing to do hard things.

The Daily Ingredients of Growth

Over the years I’ve learned that a healthy process usually includes a few key things:

Learning – Leaders must remain lifelong learners.
Focus – Eliminate distractions and concentrate on what matters most.
Accountability – Even champions need someone to hold them accountable.
Execution – It’s not enough to know what to do. You must apply it.
Gratitude – A thankful heart attracts more blessings.
Discipline – Growth requires consistency and self-control.

These things may seem simple, but practiced daily they produce powerful results.

Final Thoughts

Growth doesn’t happen overnight.

But if you stay committed to the process—if you keep learning, stretching, focusing, and giving your best effort—something powerful begins to happen over time.

You become stronger.
You become wiser.
You become more effective.

And eventually, the process carries you to the goal.

So my encouragement to you today as a leader is simple:

Fall in love with the process.

Listen to the full episode of the Leadership Lifter Podcast on YouTube or on davidblunt.org