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?
/// Mindset Archive
Make the Sacrifice Worth it: Olympic Shooting with Amanda Banta
Amanda Banta is a national rifle champion and Olympic competitor. She began shooting at 11 years old and competed in the 2012 Olympic games only 9 years later. In this conversation, we take a look at what it took to make that kind of progress, what it means to have a winning mindset, and of course learn some tips for better marksmanship practice.
Community Member Highlight: Graveyard Fields
This episode is another in our community member highlight series. Today we’re focusing on Justin “Graveyard” Fields, who is very active in the community and is himself a prolific blogger. Among other blogs he runs, he most recently set up Swift | Silent | Deadly, a blog focused on full-spectrum individual security. In this interview, we talk a bit about how Justin got interested in writing about this particular set of topics as well as his thoughts on the lessons we should all be taking away from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Risk Assessment and Mitigation for Everyday Living
It's March 2020, a time when people are well and truly panicked about a virulent flu strain. Government institutions across the globe are flailing about for consequence mitigation strategies with greater or lesser success and some risk of unintended consequences. People panic because they don’t trust established institutions to handle an emergency. Institutions lose trust because they’re corrupt, incompetent, unresponsive or some combination. So we must ask the question: What’s a working man to do?
Sharpening the Edge: There’s Value in Competition
Life is full of competition. In fact, in the grand scheme of things, all of life is a giant competition for resources and reproduction. Entire species either prosper or go extinct on the macro level due to their collective abilities to compete in an ever-changing environment. Nations, businesses, and people operate in a similar way. And so should you.
What Can We Learn from COVID-19 So Far?
I don't' write typical "blog posts" very often, but this is one of those days. We're well into the panic of COVID-19, and things don't show any signs of slowing down. I wanted to take a moment to share some of my observations and lessons learned so far in this mess.
The Dirty A-Word: Accountability
Have you ever been frustrated by not achieving your goals? It doesn’t really matter what the goal itself was. Perhaps it was [another] weight loss target, or putting in some extra hours on a hobby. We’ve all had that moment where it just fell apart. It sucks. Today I want to talk about the number one reason than this happens. It’s not going to be some quick fix that anyone can sell you, it’s not a book, or some slick goal-setting method. Nope, it’s just good old fashioned accountability.
It’s Not About the Numbers: Focusing on the Right Stuff
In this week's episode, I go on a bit of a rant about focusing on the right things in life. Goals and scores are good, but they don't make you happy.
Surviving so You Can Piss Off the Mortgage Company
In this episode of Everyday Marksman Radio, I'm talking to former Army Special Forces SERE instructor Mike Moore about what it takes to survive an emergency. We dig into survival myths, homemade survival kits, and more.
Matt Versus the Cardio Machine: Beating the Mastery Plateau
Despite the title, this episode is not really about cardio equipment or the many benefits of cardio training, that you already know. Instead, this is a short episode discussing a thought I had while exhausting myself on my rowing machine a couple of weeks ago. The seeming slog of cardio is a lot like the path to mastery.
The Meaning of Being Armed in Modern Society
Being armed is not the same thing as being a gun owner. Being armed is a state of mind. It's a choice of committing to something deeper and more elusive.
From the First Time to the Best Time: The Making of a Shooting Family
In this episode, I sit down with my wife, Allison, to discuss her evolution from knowing nothing about firearms to being a supporter of marksmanship and the shooting sports. We also cover tips for introducing your significant other to firearms and firearms culture.
100 for 30 Pushup Challenge
This challenge is about the lowly pushup, one of the simplest and most effective exercises you can do. But, really, it's not about the pushup itself- it's about discipline and routine building.
An Appeal to Heaven
I didn't want to record this episode. As you know, I try to keep my opinions to myself when it comes to politics. But, sometimes the very thing you are interested in becomes political. With everything that is going on with the recent special elections in Virginia, I can no longer avoid the topic.
Mental Marksmanship: Train the Mind, and the Rest Will Follow
Linda Miller and Keith Cunningham are the authors of Secrets of Mental Marksmanship, How to fire Perfect Shots. They are accomplished shooters in both the civilian and military worlds, and today we are talking about developing the right mindset.
Bringing New Shooters into the Fold: A Range Day Story
Today’s episode is simple: I wanted to talk about a recent experience taking two new shooters to the range for the first time. I think this is one of those pivotal moments in peoples’ lives, and we should strive to get it right for their first time.
Goal Setting: When Wishing is Not a Valid Course of Action
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.
