Doing your best vs. doing the best that you can do

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r1lover

r1lover

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Aug 11, 2018
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I had a conversation the other day with a fellow field target shooter that led me to contemplate what "doing my best" vs. "doing the best that I can do" means to me. I think I put my finger on an important difference.

Doing my best on the range is achievable every time out. It means successfully using the skills and equipment I have and getting the best score I can expect under the conditions that day. It means not having any of those "Dang, I shouldn't have missed that one!" shots. No matter my score I come away feeling good when I do my best (conversely I still grumble to myself when I don't do my best even if I got high match score, lol). It is what I strive for every match. I witnessed the same from a competitor recently when he posted his "career high" score as he put it. He didn't win the match but he was still exuberant.

Doing the best that I can do..........I don't know what that is and I will never find out. It's somewhere the other side of the line I draw where fun becomes tedious, repetitious, nauseous practice. It's the tumultuous rare air occupied by champions who are never satisfied and always strive to improve no matter how good they are and that's what makes them champions. I don't want to live there.

I think I like striving to do my best best.
 
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Franklink said:
So where does a field target competitor that earnestly practices fall in the comparison between doing their best versus doing the best that they can do?
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Hmmmmm.........consider two mathematical problems:

Given: A is some fixed, non-linear diminishing return formula in your biological makeup that turns B into a score where B is the amount of time spent practicing.

Doing your best equals AB. It is the best score you can get given the amount of practice you put in.

Doing the best you can do equals the limit of AB as B goes from zero to X where X equals the greatest amount of practice physically possible for you to do.

If B = X then you are doing both your best and the best that you can do.

IF B is less than X you are not doing the best that you can do and you can do better with more practice.

Are you an AB or a limit problem? Only you can answer that.

I am an AB problem. I practice little to none and I am happy if my score equals AB because that is my best. I do not know what my limit is because I do not know what my X would be, I only know that my X would be significantly greater than my B is now and I have no intention of practicing to my greatest extent (X) physically possible to find my limit.
 
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From having been involved in two other competitive sports on a serious basis I can say that doing my best can vary from day to day. Some days my best is crap while once in a while it’s downright amazing. The best I can do is constant. More difficult to achieve und usually less satisfying. Much more frustrating also. Now when I compete or do things requiring certain skills I make sure I’m enjoying it. If not then I’m wasting time and resources.

Rick H.
 
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I try to do my best everyday. Its seldom the best I can do if you look at that days results. Every day is different. Some days I can do no wrong. Some days everything goes to hell. I'm still trying my best at any given time.

Well unless... I'm drinking and plinking. Then the pressure is off and I'm just having fun. It's actually quite liberating and fun. Especially when you make crazy hail Mary shots. I got a small white pill bottle hung at 74 yards. Puts a big Ole smile on my face when I hit it with my little Hw30s.
 
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r1lover said:
Hmmmmm.........consider two mathematical problems:

Given: A is some fixed, non-linear diminishing return formula in your biological makeup that turns B into a score where B is the amount of time spent practicing.

Doing your best equals AB. It is the best score you can get given the amount of practice you put in.

Doing the best you can do equals the limit of AB as B goes from zero to X where X equals the greatest amount of practice physically possible for you to do.

If B = X then you are doing both your best and the best that you can do.

IF B is less than X you are not doing the best that you can do and you can do better with more practice.

Are you an AB or a limit problem? Only you can answer that.

I am an AB problem. I practice little to none and I am happy if my score equals AB because that is my best. I do not know what my limit is because I do not know what my X would be, I only know that my X would be significantly greater than my B is now and I have no intention of practicing to my greatest extent (X) physically possible to find my limit.
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I'm sure this is really quite brilliant.... !
unfortunately i am still trying to figure out how to do basic math problems beyond adding, subtracting and multiplying.
I keep adding more airguns while subtracting the time i am able to spend with any individual gun thus multiplying my overall airgun skills but diminishing my returns on any given single platform on any given day. XYZ = AB to a 5th of vodka or something like that.
Beware the man with one gun with one scope... he doesn't read the AGN classifieds but he (or she) is one hell of a shot.
James Bond, while the best dressed spy, with all the latest gadgets was still a terrible shot.
 
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Very interesting, thanks for posting!

My perspective is to go with whatever works for you and is enjoyable... that's why we shoot isn't it?

I enjoy the challenge of hitting a small target at long range. The size of the target and the distance I shoot (successfully) changes from day to day - no biggie 😉

I find that the more relaxed I am about the whole process the better I shoot. For me, it's best if I forget about the last shot and don't think about the next shot... there is only here and now.

I only compete with myself and always win!

Cheers!
 
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cavedweller said:
I'm sure this is really quite brilliant.... !
unfortunately i am still trying to figure out how to do basic math problems beyond adding, subtracting and multiplying.
I keep adding more airguns while subtracting the time i am able to spend with any individual gun thus multiplying my overall airgun skills but diminishing my returns on any given single platform on any given day. XYZ = AB to a 5th of vodka or something like that.
Beware the man with one gun with one scope... he doesn't read the AGN classifieds but he (or she) is one hell of a shot.
James Bond, while the best dressed spy, with all the latest gadgets was still a terrible shot.
Click to expand...
I thought Bond was an excellent shot … That Walther has an itty bitty barrel 😎
 
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r1lover said:
I had a conversation the other day with a fellow field target shooter that led me to contemplate what "doing my best" vs. "doing the best that I can do" means to me. I think I put my finger on an important difference.

Doing my best on the range is achievable every time out. It means successfully using the skills and equipment I have and getting the best score I can expect under the conditions that day. It means not having any of those "Dang, I shouldn't have missed that one!" shots. No matter my score I come away feeling good when I do my best (conversely I still grumble to myself when I don't do my best even if I got high match score, lol). It is what I strive for every match. I witnessed the same from a competitor recently when he posted his "career high" score as he put it. He didn't win the match but he was still exuberant.

Doing the best that I can do..........I don't know what that is and I will never find out. It's somewhere the other side of the line I draw where fun becomes tedious, repetitious, nauseous practice. It's the tumultuous rare air occupied by champions who are never satisfied and always strive to improve no matter how good they are and that's what makes them champions. I don't want to live there.

I think I like striving to do my best best.
Click to expand...
As we have spoken of at FT Matches be it Club or Away ...
It is as much a MENTAL GAME as it is one of Shooters Skill.

Now having shot FT with you for a few years now, the SKILL set you clearly have in spades ;) And the case in point being to the MENTAL part, I have seen and continue to see you taking each shot missed FAR TO SERIOUSLY. One of the BIGGEST Mental things you can do is realize a shot missed is OVER !!! there is no taking it back for a do over, absolutely NOTHING you can do about it and you MUST MOVE ON FORGETTING ABOUT IT immediately !!!
Letting yourself dwell and think what could I have done differently ? Being just upset with yourself ? or acting out if only for a moment IS BAD KARMA for keeping your head screwed on straight during a match.
If & when you have the skill you do apply it the best you know how if your actually trying to do well .. It's Automatic :p
When results don't follow intent Forget about it ... You have more shots to take so keep on going one shot at a time.
The time to dwell on mistakes is AFTER the match.
 
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Motorhead said:
As we have spoken of at FT Matches be it Club or Away ...
It is as much a MENTAL GAME as it is one of Shooters Skill.

Now having shot FT with you for a few years now, the SKILL set you clearly have in spades ;) And the case in point being to the MENTAL part, I have seen and continue to see you taking each shot missed FAR TO SERIOUSLY. One of the BIGGEST Mental things you can do is realize a shot missed is OVER !!! there is no taking it back for a do over, absolutely NOTHING you can do about it and you MUST MOVE ON FORGETTING ABOUT IT immediately !!!
Letting yourself dwell and think what could I have done differently ? Being just upset with yourself ? or acting out if only for a moment IS BAD KARMA for keeping your head screwed on straight during a match.
If & when you have the skill you do apply it the best you know how if your actually trying to do well .. It's Automatic :p
When results don't follow intent Forget about it ... You have more shots to take so keep on going one shot at a time.
The time to dwell on mistakes is AFTER the match.
Click to expand...
The grasshopper is still learning, thank you Master!
 
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