Bullseye

In my constant quest to try new things (#neverhaveiever), I visited a shooting gallery last weekend with a friend. We shot 25 pellets each, using different air guns (rifles), trying to hit a target - circles drawn on a thin piece of cardboard, kept some 30 feet away. It was an exhilarating experience – holding the gun, staying still while aiming, the loud THANG when we pressed the trigger and feeling the recoil caused by the gun.

Later, as I reflected on this exciting experience, I drew a few connections between it and life in general:

• Target changes: From the time I loaded the first pellet in the air gun, the target kept changing. For the first few shots I was trying to at least hit the sheet, then focused in on the outer circle. After gaining some confidence, I started targeting the black circle at the center and finally the very center of it – the bullseye. Starting with an easier & broader goal helps build momentum! However, it is important to not become complacent and continue to push yourself forward.
• Evaluate results: After every few shots, we pressed a button that brought the sheets close to us, so we could assess how we were doing. We then tried different guns and shooting techniques, which helped us get better!
• Margin of error: While it would have been ideal to always target and shoot the bullseye, it helped to have a defined margin of error – in this case the black circle; so, we didn’t feel miserable about every shot that did not hit the center. Occasionally, we all need the freedom to fail.
• And finally, the point that identifying the target is critical. Most often targets don’t come with a black circle, or a huge X-mark on them. It is critical to identify the right one for you, articulate it and if required, even document it. It helps with the evaluation process. And be on the lookout when the target may change into something entirely different. For us, it was a smaller sheet, with an even smaller black circle.

It is therefore imperative for us to take a moment to ask ourselves the following questions –

• What is my target here (bullseye)? What is the margin of error (the black circle)?
• How am I doing?
• What do I need to do differently to hit the bullseye?
• Has my target changed?

Not knowing the answer to these questions is akin to standing in a shooting lane with a gun in hand, and no target in sight.

PS: I have hung the target sheet on a softboard near my workstation, as a reminder of these lessons.