Actor Daniel Day Lewis is known to stay in character between scenes during a movie shoot. That process is one of the reasons he’s a six-time nominee and three-time winner of the Best Actor Oscar.
No matter where prolific author, singer, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou was living at the time, she rented a hotel room just for writing and asked that all the art be taken off the walls to eliminate distractions. That was her process, one she used to pen autobiographies, poetry, essays, plays, movies, and television shows.
NBA champion Steph Curry’s 20-minute pregame ritual is a show unto itself. It’s also his process.
The process alone isn’t what leads to the result. If that were true, anyone could reach the heights of the greats just by staying in character, writing in a hotel room, or duplicating one pre-game ritual.
But for someone dedicated to their craft, the process sends a signal to their minds that it’s time to get to work. The actions they take may range from practical to superstitious, but the process acts like a switch that tells them, “Here we go—let’s get to work.”
Look at the things that you do well and consider the process. What do you do before, during, or even after that are uniquely yours, steps or practices or rituals that have become your routine and have proven to work for you? It’s important to both recognize and honor those techniques because that’s exactly how you leverage them repeatedly.
And as you share with colleges the activities, pursuits, and interests that matter most to you, consider sharing your process, too. The fact that you have one at all says as much about your commitment to your craft as any awards or recognition do.