The Art of Hitting Your Target - in Archery and in Life
Have you ever noticed that sometimes, the more you want something, the harder it is to get?
A few weeks ago, I had the brilliant idea of booking an archery lesson. My partner and I love trying new things, and we always make time for little adventures, sometimes revisiting old favourites, other times exploring something completely new.
When the instructor asked what brought us there, I told him that as a kid, I was fascinated by Robin Hood. That guy never missed a shot. At least that’s how I remember it. And I thought he was really cool.
Beginner’s Luck… or Something More?
The instructor walked us through the basics, and when it was time to shoot, I picked up my bow, placed the arrow in the notch, pulled back the string until my fingers touched the corner of my mouth, focused on my target (a yellow balloon), and let go.
🎯 The balloon popped.
I hit the target on my very first try! I was in awe. And so, so proud.
Then I tried again. And again. And again.
The more I tried, the more I wanted to hit the target. And, more often than not, I missed.
The instructor noticed and gave me a simple piece of advice: Focus on the target, but relax before taking the shot.
And you know what? When I actually relaxed, it worked.
But then I started thinking about focusing. And thinking about relaxing. And thinking about how I wasn’t relaxing enough…
You can guess what happened next.
Miss.
“If You Want It Too Much, You’re Not Going to Hit It.”
Those were the instructor’s words, and wow, did they hit home.
As much as I was enjoying myself, there was a part of me that needed to hit the target at all costs, while simultaneously trying to relax. Spoiler alert: I couldn’t do both.
Later, while sitting in our favourite café, I realised that archery is a lot like working towards a goal.
You set your sights on something you want (the target).
You figure out the steps to get there (the technique).
But if you overthink the process or obsess over the outcome, you make it so much harder for yourself.
Sometimes, you don’t even get there at all.
And here’s the part that really surprised me: the farther away the target, the easier it was for me to relax into the process.
(Make that make sense, right?)
What This Means for Your Goals
So, if you have a goal you want to reach, focus on it, but don’t cling to it.
Once you know how to aim, take the shot.
And if you miss? That’s okay. You try again.
A Question Before You Go
Where in your life could you benefit from focusing more and overthinking less?