Mindset Archives

This is a podcast episode from Jack Donovan’s Start the World. It’s a short listen at 10 minutes, but it’s totally worth it for the gut check on your fitness habits. [Read Full Article »]

We’re getting philosophical for a bit. I’m filing this under the “Mindset” category because it has broad implications across many areas of life beyond just shooting, competition, or defense. In fact, I think this is one of the biggest cultural issues I see among gun owners in general. In light of the recent discussion about standards here on this site, I thought this was a relevant topic to discuss.

first came across the term Tolerance Stacking with engineering and systems design. In short, it refers to the overall reliability of a system based on the combined deviations of its individual components. But it applies equally well to the shooting community.

Let’s talk about it. [Read Full Article »]

Perception matters. This article is a discussion about navigating a continuum between “day to day” and “war is imminent” when it comes to the appearance of preparedness. Too many folks in our community seem to jump from 0 to 60, going from regular clothes to cosplaying their favorite special operations unit. Reality doesn’t work that way, though.

I’m going to compare this whole thing to the DEFCON system I “grew up” with during my military career. We must approach our posture with consideration for both positive and negative effects that it generates. [Read Full Article »]

Full disclosure: I despise the modern marketing languages surrounding firearms. In fact, the whole “Modern Sporting Rifle” thing borderline pisses me off. I think it’s a blatant product of misdirected public relations and marketing. It ultimately does more to harm us than help us.

I don’t think many people bat an eye when they see someone practicing archery, fencing, or traditional forms of martial arts. We should be portraying marksmanship and the shooting sports in the same way. It means bringing discipline to our practice, and talking about it productive ways.

As fun as the zombie apocalypse might be, it’s not real and only further builds a cartoonish stereotype of who we are.

Let’s change that. [Read Full Article »]

Every once and while, you see, hear, or read something that you just stop and can’t help but nod along with. That happened to me recently while listening to the Fieldcraft Survival podcast. Mike and Kurt put out a lot of great content, but this one definitely stuck with me.

At about 70 minutes, there is a lot of content in this episode, which focuses on psychological trauma and survival mindsets. The whole episode is definitely worth a listen. I wanted to touch on a few key points, though. Each of these is relevant to our community and the things that we do. [Read Full Article »]

If we are to truly embark on a journey of mastery in any given area of our lives, then we must dedicate ourselves to the enjoyment of that journey for the sake of taking it. It’s not about the end goal.

Those who are too goal-obsessive may become frustrated with lack of progress ignore the fundamentals in pursuit of the next high. This may work, but it will probably harm long-term gains by sacrificing a strong foundation to work from. [Read Full Article »]

I want to talk about mindset.

More specifically, I want to tear down this idea of “safe spaces” that blankets our society and stunts our emotional growth.

To be blunt, there is no such thing as a true safe space. There is always a threat, even if you’ve done what you can to mitigate that threat.

The real question is how do you comport yourself in the face of those potential threats? [Read Full Article »]