Aim, Shoot, Bullseye

How to set a goal or target and stay on target? The illustration is used to help us to determine what it takes to set goals or targets and how to stay on target. Have you ever played the game of darts? Darts throwing is a very simple game, basically throwing darts at a board with scores based on your accuracy.

Before playing darts, you need to have the darts and of course, the dartboard. With the darts and no board, the game is not complete. In fact, it goes nowhere and it may be also dangerous. Imagine you or things in your house or garden have become the board for the darts. So it is important to have in place a target or goal as you pursue any activity in life.

After setting up the board (on the wall), you ask yourself what is your goal. Is it going to be 10, 50, 90 or 100 score? So what does it take to hit 90 or 100? In throwing the darts, the following are needed:

1. Focus and Aim
With darts ready to fly, your eyes must stay fixed on the target ahead. If your eyes are distracted by the surrounding attractions and people cheering with playful activities, the dart is obvious to go side tracked. In such situation, if I were you, I would stay away from such a person as far as possible. Who knows where the dart is going to land. Keep your eyes fixed on the target. Remove distractions if possible. Remove clutter. If these are inevitable in many cases, stay focused.

2. One Task At A Time
Much is said about multi-tasking but to really achieve excellence and focus, we can only and should only throw one dart at a time. There after, prepare for the next. Focus on one task at a time. In fact, doing many darts at the board, one of the darts may hit bullseye but there is left to chance. In life, there are not many chance for you to try.

3. Effort, Energy and Speed
Keeping focus and having the dart ready to fly without the right effort and needed speed, will also not get the dart to hit the target on the dartboard. You may either fall short die to lack of effort and too slow speed, or overshot or too high due to too much energy or too fast in speed. So having good goals, and focus must be coupled with needed effort, push, motivation and discipline to achieve those goals set. If it is also taking too long to achieve these goals, then what is holding you up or slowing you down?

Keep practicing, practicing and practicing. You will surely hit the bullseye. Many participate, few get the prize. Many aspire, few attain.

Persevere!

:)