NFL coach Vince Lombardi said it best: “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.”
Read that again.
Perfection isn’t a destination. It’s a direction. As archers, we’re human. We fatigue, we make mistakes, equipment can fail, and calls don’t always go our way. Perfection may be out of reach, but excellence isn’t, as long as you’re chasing it.
Here’s what that means in practice: Focus on the fundamentals. Focus on continual, intentional practice. Stop judging yourself by what happens on the target and start judging yourself on the shooting line, where form, technique, and foundation are actually built.
I’ve seen it in 3D competition. My distance judging was solid, but my shooting was poor, and the two sometimes evened out. I was getting by, but I wasn’t excellent. When I shifted focus to the indoor range, the paper showed me exactly where I was breaking down.
Chase perfection in your process, and excellence follows.
