The most important advice

Rummaging randomly, I opened a journal and found a completely-out-of-context note from five years ago, when I was reading a book called Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book, a book about golf that somehow transcends the game while providing sound advice about playing the game, as I recall.

There, in all capital letters, I wrote this quote from the book:

“IT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT ADVICE IN THIS BOOK … TAKE DEAD AIM.”

What is “taking dead aim” as opposed to simply “taking aim”?

I imagine this is a concise way of saying what they say about “SMART” goals — Don’t just have some vague thing you want to accomplish; rather, write down a goal that is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based.

Taking dead aim is important because you want to have a clear sight of your target before you pull the trigger.

After you take dead aim, then go for it. Wayne Gretzky famously said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

But first, take the most important advice in Mr. Penick’s book.

Published by WarrenBluhm

Wordsmith and podcaster, Warren is a reporter, editor and storyteller who lives near the shores of Green Bay with his wife, two golden retrievers, Dejah and Summer, and Blackberry, an insistent cat. Author of It's Going to Be All Right, Echoes of Freedom Past, Full, Refuse to be Afraid, Gladness is Infectious, 24 flashes, How to Play a Blue Guitar, Myke Phoenix: The Complete Novelettes, A Bridge at Crossroads, The Imaginary Bomb, A Scream of Consciousness, and The Imaginary Revolution.

Leave a Reply

%d bloggers like this: