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Nothing is Difficult, if...


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"Difficult" is an idea created beforehand in your mind.

Nothing is difficutl to do if you give your full attention to the task while doing it.

I just finished washing and putting away the dishes, and then realized it didn't seem like any time had passed. And realized that was because there were no thoughts about wanting to finish the job.

How does that apply to shooting a stage, or everything else you will do?

be

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if your thoughts are on the "end", how can they be on the "now". approach each time as that time. each shot is that shot,each movement is that movement. thinking of then erases the now. time is created in the mind, there is no time, there are only actions and movements which follow each other.

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If you plant the seed that this is difficult you have already set yourself up for failure. It relates to shooting in the sense that your mentality cannot be currupt with those kind of negative thoughts, nor should anyone influence the way you think by saying "this stage is really hard". Saying something is difficult can be said before and after you have done the act also, not just beforehand. But when you put your full attention on something, you are in essence putting more emphasis on it, or it becomes more of a priority at that time. When you do this, time seems to flyby, so in this case time is an illusion, just like shooting a stage. sometimes you shoot the stage and it felt really fast and the timer shows it was slow, then you shoot a stage that felt really slow and it reality was really fast.

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  • 5 years later...

Years ago, when working as a line mechanic, it wasn't uncommon to get a "loser." Like for example, a warranty major engine teardown. The first thought was... I won't get paid as many hours for this job as I would if it was a non-warranty. And then visualizing the complex teardown and reassembly made me feel like blowing my brains out. The one day on one of those for whatever reason, with firm conviction, I decided to just to the job "one bolt at a time." It was done to perfection in about half the time I expected it would take.

Shoot each stage "one bullet at a time."

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  • 2 weeks later...

Brian, as an aircraft mechanic and hobbiest hot rodder, that completely hits home. The dread of the task wastes more time than the accomplishment of the task itself.

I often find myself curious if other professions share those thoughts: the 5 Star chef driving to work on Valentine's Day; or the equipment operator grading a building plot.

I can say I have learned there is a direct corelation with the number of times the task has been performed vs my enthusiasm. The more the new has worn off, the greater the potential for dread and defeatisim, prior to start.

Edited by cjdaniel78
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My version is - Anything is easy if someone else has to do it! :)

I do agree with full attention to the task at hand. That is how I try to shoot too. Each shot in the moment it's happening.

Edited by Toolguy
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Years ago, when working as a line mechanic, it wasn't uncommon to get a "loser." Like for example, a warranty major engine teardown. The first thought was... I won't get paid as many hours for this job as I would if it was a non-warranty. And then visualizing the complex teardown and reassembly made me feel like blowing my brains out. The one day on one of those for whatever reason, with firm conviction, I decided to just to the job "one bolt at a time." It was done to perfection in about half the time I expected it would take.

Shoot each stage "one bullet at a time."

this relates to something I noticed during my time in japan.

a cleaning worker whose job it is to clean a section of floor and perhaps 2 or 3 toilets for say one level at a shopping mall, or part of a train station. In Japan those workers go about their work methodically but clearly with pride in doing the job well. They are not thinking "I wish it was 5pm so I could leave" or "why am I stuck doing this menial job for low pay". They are happy to have a job. They take satisfaction in a job done well. No doubt when complete they take pride in improving the aesthetic for those who must use those facilities.

It struck me as a difference in attitude and perhaps difference in culture. I've traveled extensively in western countries (europe, US, australia). In most of those countries I find workers doing that same job with permanent scowls. They are rude and un-helpful to anyone who would dare ask them for assistance. They arrive as late as possible and leave as early as possible and do as little work as possible. They do a poor job mostly and resent their low pay. I'm sure for them days seem 15 hours long.

This no doubt illustrates a number of things about our ability to influence our lives through positive thought. It also helps explain why Japan as a nation has built a reputation for quality and efficiency.

Underlying this is a value system that is in some ways fundamentally different to many in western societies.

I'm sure there is an element of Zen in here somewhere.....

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  • 2 weeks later...

"Difficult" is an idea created beforehand in your mind.

Nothing is difficutl to do if you give your full attention to the task while doing it.

I just finished washing and putting away the dishes, and then realized it didn't seem like any time had passed. And realized that was because there were no thoughts about wanting to finish the job.

How does that apply to shooting a stage, or everything else you will do?

be

I understand what you are saying but after 33 years as an engineer, I think I can say that this statement is not correct:

Nothing is difficult to do if you give your full attention to the task while doing it.

Some things are very difficult and certainly more difficult than other things by comparison. It may be that some things are not difficult for one person and very difficult for another and I don't think that attention is exclusively the reason. Experience and skill level certainly affect it. "Difficult" is a concept which is 100% subjective and subject to case.

The other constraint which elevates difficulty is time and/or resources available for a given task. I have seen many things which could have been simple but were difficult to perform within a given set of boundary conditions (time and or personnell) forced onto the task.

Edited by bountyhunter
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if your thoughts are on the "end", how can they be on the "now". approach

Depends on the task. There are some tasks for which the "now" approach does not work well (or at all) and you have to constantly adjust to changes to optimize the execution. You have to view the entire sequence at all times and adjust for variances as they arise.

If you had limited ammo you might choose at some points to skip very difficult (low percentage) targets and "save" up to make sure you have ammo to execute later high percentage scores. This exact effect happened when I was working at National Semiconductor. The engineering Director decided he could get people to "make schedules" using a simple technique: assign points to each project, if it was on time you got full points. You got half points if it was a month late and ZERO if it was two months or more late, and our annual raises were multiples of these scores He assumed that would somehow get everything on time.

What actually happened: when projects slipped and we had no way to recover on them, they basically got ignored and all resources were focused onto the ones that were still viable. My boss got bent when she noticed this and I asked her: "Given the conditions set up, what else would you expect them to do?"

Edited by bountyhunter
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"Difficult" is an idea created beforehand in your mind.

Nothing is difficutl to do if you give your full attention to the task while doing it.

I just finished washing and putting away the dishes, and then realized it didn't seem like any time had passed. And realized that was because there were no thoughts about wanting to finish the job.

How does that apply to shooting a stage, or everything else you will do?

be

I understand what you are saying but after 33 years as an engineer, I think I can say that this statement is not correct:

Nothing is difficult to do if you give your full attention to the task while doing it.

Some things are very difficult and certainly more difficult than other things by comparison. It may be that some things are not difficult for one person and very difficult for another and I don't think that attention is exclusively the reason. Experience and skill level certainly affect it. "Difficult" is a concept which is 100% subjective and subject to case.

The other constraint which elevates difficulty is time and/or resources available for a given task. I have seen many things which could have been simple but were difficult to perform within a given set of boundary conditions (time and or personnell) forced onto the task.

I suspect the concept 'difficult' will be removed from the mind of the one doing the task

when they have their full attention on doing the task.

so, it is not difficult.

what is on your mind when you make ammo?

and...

what is on your mind when you clean dishes?

miranda

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"Difficult" is an idea created beforehand in your mind.

Nothing is difficutl to do if you give your full attention to the task while doing it.

I just finished washing and putting away the dishes, and then realized it didn't seem like any time had passed. And realized that was because there were no thoughts about wanting to finish the job.

How does that apply to shooting a stage, or everything else you will do?

be

I understand what you are saying but after 33 years as an engineer, I think I can say that this statement is not correct:

Nothing is difficult to do if you give your full attention to the task while doing it.

Some things are very difficult and certainly more difficult than other things by comparison. It may be that some things are not difficult for one person and very difficult for another and I don't think that attention is exclusively the reason. Experience and skill level certainly affect it. "Difficult" is a concept which is 100% subjective and subject to case.

The other constraint which elevates difficulty is time and/or resources available for a given task. I have seen many things which could have been simple but were difficult to perform within a given set of boundary conditions (time and or personnell) forced onto the task.

I suspect the concept 'difficult' will be removed from the mind of the one doing the task

when they have their full attention on doing the task.

so, it is not difficult.

what is on your mind when you make ammo?

and...

what is on your mind when you clean dishes?

miranda

... Presence...

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Well, whatever but IMHO:

"Difficult" is an idea created beforehand in your mind.

Nothing is difficutl to do if you give your full attention to the task while doing it.

I just finished washing and putting away the dishes, and then realized it didn't seem like any time had passed. And realized that was because there were no thoughts about wanting to finish the job.

In my case, doing dishes is so easy it doesn't require any allocation of my mind to do it because it's automatic. So in that respect, it isn't getting much of my attention at all and I may very well be processing other things at the same time which would make me feel like no time had passed.

My point was that regarding:

Nothing is difficutl to do if you give your full attention to the task while doing it.

There certainly are difficult things that will be difficult even with 100% of my attention and the difficulty will be independent of what I thought beforehand:

"Difficult" is an idea created beforehand in your mind.

In fact, many difficult things fooled me because I believed they would be easy.... forgetting Murphy's Law. So the idea I had beforehand turned out to be wrong.

Edited by bountyhunter
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hohohohohohohoho

I do wonderIf I can convey the humor in my mind here.

what seemed quite clear to me

and I thought was said with the ease of knowing beforehand,

no one could mistake my words...

has been visited by Murphy.

I think I'll leave this at the Humor.

miranda

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My father used to say anything is easy if you know how. I had a boss once when I was a lowly assistant for a very successful picture editor and one morning I was was copying original photographs to make copies for layout of a book which was 14x20 inches (4 copies to each photo and paste them together) -I said this isn't easy and she put her hand on my shoulder, took a big drag, and said, "nothing is easy. Made me feel instantly better. I still use both of these philosophies. Because they are both true. A simple Venn diagram of two. The middle is both.

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  • 3 months later...

I look at things like this, nothing is complex if you break it down to one step at a time. Many things are simple but hard to do. Shooting a match is a complex set of shooting problems (stages) with weather, sun, other distractions and the need for intense concentration while remaining relaxed. However, as it has already been said, a match happens just one bullet at a time. The hard part is the preparation for the match. One practice session at a time. That too is simple, but also very hard.

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  • 1 month later...

Often times in contemplation of the task (IE: a stage) at hand, the mind will throw up barriers founded on fear or stress. It takes effort to clear the mind and accept that the task before you is not something to be feared, but an opportunity for growth and personal exploration of your boundaries.

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  • 1 year later...
  • 5 months later...

When shooting I do my best to cease all unnecessary thoughts and clear my mind. Like Jerry Miculek said, ‘when you’re thinking about shooting, you’re not shooting’. So I agree that ‘difficult’ is a mindset and it arises from thinking. Clear the mind of thoughts and let the training flow through you. 

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