Train the mind and the body will follow
Too many people in our world think that owning the right gear and reading about a specific skill is enough. Well, it’s not.
During a podcast interview with Mike Moore, a former SERE instructor, I asked about a fundamental truth about survival situations that most people don’t understand. His answer was simple: “Not everyone is going to make it.”
The key differentiator between those who made it and those who don’t is the unyielding belief that you’ve got this.
In this section, you’ll find all of my articles, podcast episodes, and marksman challenges about training your mind to naturally achieve success. This takes work, practice, and discipline. Reading an article or book about it is a start, but truly developing your tactical mindset means challenging yourself to succeed.
Small victories lead to big victories. I implore you to start with goal setting and make winning a habit in your life.
You rarely get to choose “the moment.” Instead, the moment chooses you. Are you ready?
/// Challenges
/// Mindset Archive
The Go-Getter Marksman Challenge
Vince Lombardi once said, “Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all the time thing. You don’t win once in a while; you don’t do things right once in a while; you do them right all of the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.”
At its heart, The Everyday Marksman is about taking action. The more action you take, and the more wins you amass in the process, then the stronger your mindset becomes.
As Coach Lombardi put it, winning is a habit. So even if you have to start with small wins and slowly build up to big wins, that’s still building a habit towards success. For this challenge, you are going to set a goal, tell us about it, and then follow it through to completion.
Goal Setting: When Wishing is Not a Valid Course of Action
Podcast: Play in new window
Today’s episode covers three topics. Each of the focus on some important aspect of setting and achieving goals. First, we’ll talk about selecting and writing down a goal. Secondly, and this is where most people fall short, we’re going to talk about how to actually plan for the success of that goal. Lastly, we’ll talk about some of the common mental pitfalls that stop you from achieving whatever desire you have.
Why are we talking about this topic today? Well, that’s a great question.
On Tactical Timmy, Boogaloo Bob, and Other Notable Characters
Podcast: Play in new window
This podcast episode introduces you to four recurring gun culture characters I might mention from time to time: Tactical Timmy, Boogaloo Bob, Fuddy Fred, and Sheepdog Shane.
Try not to take my irreverence too seriously on this one. We all have some of these characters inside of us, and I’m just giving them names so that we can bring the stereotypes to light and talk about it.
The Marksman’s Path: Everyday Marksman Radio Ep 3
Podcast: Play in new window
Today I want to talk a little about something I call The Marksman’s Path. No, I’m not referring to myself. One of the stated goals of this website is to build a better kind of citizen.
I wanted to take a moment to discuss what that looks like. So settle in, press play, and let’s get to it.
The Biggest Mistake We Make with Buying Gear
The hard truth is that most of us in the shooting world have a poor mindset when it comes to how we buy gear. We prioritize the weapon’s capability over our own and then sacrifice our time and training as a result. We need to stop that.
You Can’t Reach Mastery Without Conflict
Today we’re talking about mindset. Too many people have a bias towards the status quo, and it’s actively holding them back from reaching their goals. It’s not entirely their fault, though, because there’s a lot of systems trying to maintain that status quo.
Now Hear This: Jack Donovan on the Joy of Strength
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.
Stacking Tolerances: How Little Gaps Lead to Big Performance Problems
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.
On Profile, Perception, and Deterrence
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.
The Martial Art of Marksmanship: It’s Not Bullshido
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.
Book Review: Total Resistance – A Layman’s Guide to Guerilla Warfare
I collect manuals and books dealing with the Cold War era. Today, I want to take a closer look at one of those books. I find this particular one relevant to the topics of community defense and working with a team to provide security.
Book Review: The Modern Day Gunslinger
This is a review of Don Mann’s book, The Modern Day Gunslinger: The Ultimate Handgun Training Manual.