“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”
This quote from the Roman philosopher Epictetus resonates with me. When I was 18, I had the worst case of trigger punching you could picture. But I knew what I wanted to be.
I wanted to be a pro archer. I wanted Rookie of the Year. I wanted a gold medal and a spot on the U.S. Archery Team.
The hard part wasn’t the wanting. It was the doing.
I locked my index release in a safe for years. I committed to learning a surprise shot, aiming my pin at the center of the target, and trusting it for as long as it took to go off. Once I applied that mindset, every archery goal I had began to come to life.
This applies to wherever you are right now. Maybe it’s target panic. Maybe it’s buck fever that cost you a tag last season. Maybe it’s putting in off-season reps so you can show up to a 3D shoot this summer and have a good showing. Only you know what needs to change.
Ask yourself: What do you want to be? Then go do what it takes to get there.
