"Its' Okay, Its' Just You" Part II

Yesterday I wrote how a great many of us want to blame something else for our, shall we say, substandard performances; wether it be at work, sport, family issues any of them. I went on to list my top 10 excuses I have heard and dare I say used.

Id like to just give you a quick story about how I learned "Its' Okay, Its' Just You — Assess and Move on."

1998-99, I was having one of my worse years of shooting, (archery) nothing was working, I had the top of the line equipment; but no matter what I did, it didn't win me podium stands. In my midsts of being emotionally beat, I decided to take the plunge and purchase two new bows as I was not trusting the ones I had.

I started to ask myself these three questions:

1) How did that shot feel?
2) Was it the same as the shot before?
3) What did I do exactly the same?

(Look and focus on what you do the same every time, not what you do wrong; with practice, all the right steps mold your perfect shot, or success.)

I answered all three of those questions in my mind, but at the end of the day, I would not only write it down, I would try and draw my "Sight Picture" (what I see when I am at full draw about to execute a shot.) By doing that, I started to See, Feel and Do the same thing over and over again; it was no longer a finesse shot, it was consistency, comfort and confidence. Scores raised, records started to fall and I was back in the game.

My team mate at that time was freaking out as less than a year ago he was killing me and now roles had reversed. He asked the U.S. Coach, I shoot 300 - 500 arrows a day and Aaron is shooting, at max, 200 a day; how can he be beating me? Response: "You can shoot all the arrows you want in a day, but if you don't learn something from each practice you are not doing yourself any favors. Aaron learned his shot, if he pulls up and it feels different, he sets it back down until he feels his shot. You are just shooting because you are at full draw."

To this day I ask myself the above three questions when I am shooting (archery or trap), racing, speaking, working with clients, whatever, (obviously they questions change for speaking etc., but it is same principals.)

By asking yourself simple questions, you are not only making the choice to change, you are realizing that "Its' Okay, Its' Just You." Do yourself a favor, ask yourself these questions:

1) How did it work for me today (be brutally honest)
2) Was what I did today matching my success from yesterday? (why or why not — be brutally honest)
3) What did I do the same that made me succeed today and can or do I need to change it to make it better?
(again be be brutally honest)

Answer those questions and remember at the end of the day "Its' Okay, Its' Just You" assess and move on.

Always Sitting Always in Motion


Aaron