Archery is not about controlling the arrow – it is about releasing the spirit.. – KQ
How do you feel about your chosen sport? Does it ‘give you wings’? Are you at your best right now or can you do more?
When you find your answers to these questions, the next steps become much easier.
If you are having issues with your passion, then try going back to the start. Find performances that display awe and wonder and magic. Look at the best of the best to see what someone else has been able to do. Look at stories of what it took to get good. Find your ‘tribe’ of others who are also trying to figure things out. If heroes present themselves, then use them for inspiration. Read about them. Watch interviews. Examine their performance stats. Learn all that you can. Figure out what might be possible for you to do to then break it down into small tasks for your next session. We learn by watching – those mirror neurons exist since we were babies. We need to see greatness in order to see what we can do too.
If doing a performance drains you, then the goals need to be examined. Finding the right goals is not about what others are doing or have done. It is really all about you. Going all out can be what has worked for others, but maybe it is not right for you. Having all those butterflies is actually a very good thing because it means it matters to you. Don’t try to suppress them rather use that energy more constructively. Over training is also dangerous. Remember that you only have this one body and mind and soul – sometimes you need to be a bit more protective in order to be safe. Learn what helps and please stop doing stupid stuff.
Getting better takes time and patience and more focus on the smaller things. Seeking a huge reward for a small effort is like cheating. There is an illusion to how stars are made. The general public does not see all the effort in the back ground so real understanding is lacking. When you have options, then think small. Little efforts will prove your grit. ‘Go big or go home’ does not work for most people, so focus on one step at a time. Identify a skill or competition. Set a date. Start with one thing today to move you in that direction… build on it tomorrow. If something does not work after three tries, then adjust and try again. You are allowed to change your mind. You are allowed to try something new. You are allowed to ask for help.
Finding the magic of doing something that matters to you and doing it well is incredible. Maybe you are not there yet. But please keep going in whatever way seems right to you. You will never know if you don’t start today…
Kelea Quinn 