Written by Jenny S.
Have you ever aimed for perfection, but gave up before you even began? If you can’t do it perfectly the first time, why even try, right? In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell famously contends that it takes approximately 10,000 hours of practice before one can reach expert levels in just about any category. Yet, so many of us feel disappointment, embarrassment, or even shame when we try something new and it doesn’t click right away.
Why are we expecting perfection when it’s new?
What if, instead, we gave ourselves permission to be a beginner?
Or better yet, permission to fail?
Think about babies as they learn to walk. How many times do they stumble on their way to that first big step? How often do they fall, even after taking a few steps? Eventually, they get the hang of it. With every misstep, they learn. At some point, they might even get good enough to run—maybe even skip! But it all starts with literal baby steps, and a whole lot of mistakes along the way.
How can we stack the deck as rookies in the shooting world, and set ourselves up to succeed? Fortunately, within our Lady Sentinel community, we have a prime example of what this looks like. Recently, our head facilitator, Liz, competed in A Girl & A Gun’s 3-Gun Challenge at Fall Fest—something she had never previously done. Here are a few key takeaways she modeled for us:
1. Safety First
Keep the safety fundamentals at the forefront of your mind at all times. If any accidents or mistakes happen, at least they are under the safest of circumstances.
2. Do It Scared
Don’t wait for the fear to dissipate in order to begin—it may never completely go away. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. Education and preparation can help minimize the fear.
3. Surround Yourself with Support
Find cheerleaders, coaches, and mentors who help you push through your blocks and build confidence. Liz leaned on veterans like fellow Lady Sentinel member and competitive shooter Chelsie, as well as “Squad Dad” Phil, for guidance and support. When you’re learning in a supportive environment, it’s easier to succeed.
4. Don’t Be Afraid to Make Mistakes
Approach new challenges with the goal of learning. Every mistake or setback is a notch on the belt toward your goal. The only real disappointment is if we don’t learn from our mistakes.
In this case, Liz noticed a pattern in her performance where she lost points for failing to engage several targets. Because she recognized this mistake, she can now adjust her training to be better prepared for next year’s competition.
These four steps don’t just lead to positive outcomes—they also build character, discipline, and skill. Everyone starts somewhere, and by allowing ourselves to be beginners, if you keep showing up and doing the work, you won’t be one for long. Then, you can pay it forward and share your wisdom with the new (or newer) beginners among us, too.
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