Here’s my fourth and final post in my first Mindset Reset series, which explores foundational mindsets that support building an antifragile life. This post is about letting go of having an intense focus on outcomes to discover your joy and fuel growth.
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Key Concepts In This Post
Outcome Obsession: A mindset where achieving a specific result becomes more important than the process itself.
Non-Attachment to Outcomes: The practice of focusing on effort, learning, and systems instead of fixating on results.
Antifragility: Thriving and growing stronger through challenges, uncertainty, and change.
The Trap of Outcome-Obsessed Goal Setting
I started preparing for this week’s post by running a 7-day experiment that examined my attachment to outcomes. Then it occurred to me—I was living the perfect example of this experiment right now.
When we set out to do something—whether it’s a project at work or a personal initiative—we usually have an idea of what we want to accomplish. Some people set measurable, specific goals. Sometimes the objective is more general. Either way, we typically know the desired outcome: finish the marathon, launch a product, save for a big purchase, lose the weight.
Goals are important for personal growth because they give us direction. But oftentimes, the goal becomes the end-all and be-all. We become so preoccupied with achieving it that we ignore the most important part: the journey. It’s the journey that determines the quality of the outcome. When we’re fixated on the finish line, we risk neglecting the habits and systems that actually get us there.
What Non-Attachment Really Means
Non-attachment to outcomes doesn’t mean ignoring results or giving up on goals. Instead, it means:
Valuing the process over the prize.
Measuring growth by learning, perseverance, and consistency, not just milestones.
Building systems that sustain progress, even when motivation dips.
This shift creates freedom. By releasing the pressure of results, you create more space for experimentation, creativity, and joy.
Lessons from Blogging - A Personal Example
This became apparent to me in the early stages of building this blog, Bold New Quests. I had started the project as a way to grow—creatively, skillfully, and personally. It was also a welcome outlet during cancer treatments I was undergoing at the time. I loved brainstorming, experimenting, and writing.
But as the blog took shape, I realized it could be valuable to others too. That’s when I decided to share it more widely.
At first, my approach to sharing was simple: social media. I thought it would be the easiest way to spread the word. But soon, I was spending 75% of my time creating Instagram assets and worrying about likes and views. That left far less time for what I enjoyed most—the experiments and the writing itself.
Slowly, I drifted toward outcome obsession. Instead of fueling me, the work was draining me. My motivation slipped, and I didn’t like where things were heading. I recognized the need to make a change.
The Rise Forward Method in Action
I stepped back and reassessed, using my Rise Forward Method I shared in this post for dealing with change and uncertainty. I realized that while I’d done many things right—I had a strong idea, a design I liked, and content in progress—my focus had shifted. I had become too attached to outcomes like audience size and followers.
Here are the steps I followed to right the ship and shift my attention back to process-first growth:
- Clarify your intention. This is my “why” for building Bold New Quests. It’s about purpose and vision, not numbers.
- Rediscover joy in the process. Life is too short to not have fun every chance you get. Bringing play and creativity back into the process restored my energy and gave me joy.
- Simplify your priorities. Sometimes you just want to throw the kitchen sink at a challenge, hoping that something will work, and you do them all at once! This makes things messy and complicated. I’m honing in on my top 2-3 priorities each week and working hard to do those things really well.
- Accept, experiment and move on. This is part of ‘fail fast’ thinking. I’m running experiments, and this blog is one of them. I will try things, see how they perform, and keep moving forward.
- Build systems that sustain. Systems are critical. I knew this from the get-go but hadn’t considered building one so early in the journey. Simple systems (like writing schedules and batching tasks) now help me keep creating even during busy or difficult times.
Practical Steps to Let Go of Outcomes
Here are ways you can apply this mindset:
Write down your intention before starting any project.
Choose 2–3 key actions instead of overwhelming yourself with everything at once.
Create small systems (time blocks, checklists, routines) that reduce stress.
Track learning, not just results—reflect on what you gained from the process.
Celebrate effort—acknowledge the consistency and resilience you built.
The Growth That Comes From Letting Go
When I let go of the fixation on outcomes, I felt lighter. The joy of creating returned, and so did my energy. By shifting back to the process—the experiments, the writing, the exploration—I realized something important: growth isn’t something you can chase. It’s something you uncover along the way.
So if you feel weighed down by outcomes, take a step back. Revisit your intention. Rediscover the joy in the effort. Build a system that supports—not drains—you. The paradox is that when you release your grip on results, you often create the space for your best work to emerge. And in the end, that’s the most antifragile path forward.
Takeaway
Letting go of outcomes doesn’t mean lowering your standards. It means releasing the pressure of results so you can focus on what truly fuels growth—your systems, your experiments, and your joy in the process.
FAQs: Letting Go of Outcomes
Q: What does it mean to let go of outcomes?
Letting go of outcomes means focusing on the process, effort, and learning rather than being fixated on achieving a specific result.
Q: Is letting go of outcomes the same as giving up on goals?
No. You can still set meaningful goals, but the emphasis is on building systems and habits that lead to growth, rather than obsessing over the end result.
Q: How does non-attachment to outcomes support personal growth?
It reduces stress, increases creativity, and allows you to learn more from the journey—making you more resilient and antifragile.
Q: How can I practice non-attachment in everyday life?
Start by setting intentions, focusing on daily actions, and measuring progress by what you learn or how you grow, not just by results.
