Have you ever sat down before a practice session with your shooting diary in hand and been stumped at what to write? Have you ever felt like you don’t really know what to write in an entry because you were never told how? We at Aim Down Sight felt that ‘Shooting Diary Entries’ is a very important topic that isn’t talked about a lot, so we decided to write an article on them for anyone who is looking to learn the basics.
Before talking about what we should write in a shooting diary entry we should first know what to avoid. Here are some tips on what to avoid while writing a diary entry: –
(A) The first thing you should keep in mind while attempting to write a diary entry is to do so with an open mind and a positive attitude. Even if this is your first time writing one or if you have tried to do so in the past but not gotten any positive results you should still try to approach the activity with a positive mindset.
(B) One thing to keep in mind is to not give up on the practice of maintaining a dairy just because it is not producing positive results. We should continue to modify and develop our diary entry format until we get one that is personal and fits our shooting personality to the ‘T’.
(C) Once we have a set format for our entry it is important to not fill our diaries with negative thoughts and mistakes. It is important to recognise the areas we fall short in and need to improve upon but mentioning them in a negative light is counterproductive. Instead try putting a positive spin on your mistakes and shortcomings by talking about what you will do to improve them thus turning the negative into a positive.
(D) Just writing about the things you are good at will also not bring out desirable results. Since humans are forgetful beings it is important to keep track of the areas that need improvement as well. Finding the correct balance is important in maintaining a shooting diary and do not be disappointed if you are unable to do it in your first try. This will take time and effort but you will eventually figure it out.
Now let’s talk about the things we should write in our shooting diary entries. Here are some tips that may help you with your diary entries: –
(A) The first thing to keep in mind while writing an entry is to do it before your practice or match session. Doing so will help in many ways, the most important one is getting you into ‘the zone’. When we say ‘the zone’ we do not mean an alternate universe. Getting into a shooting specific zone is important to gather your focus. Writing your diary will help put the events of the day or past conversations out of your mind and just focus on your shooting.
(B) Consulting your coach is a great way to figure out what to write in your entry. Their advice and opinions will guide you through the development of a personalised format.
(C) Writing about your physical and mental state before a session is an integral part of an entry. One should describe their mood or how they are feeling, their BP, what they have eaten, if they have an illness or physical injury, their level of motivation and their level of preparedness. One can also mention how long their warm up session and/or meditation session was before practice. Any changes in your rifle and equipment should also be mentioned and tracked.
(D) Setting a defined goal for the upcoming shooting session is a major part of one’s entry. Writing down a definitive and precise goal and how you plan on achieving it is very crucial. This can be done by setting weekly goals and then dividing them on a day to day basis with details on how you plan on achieving each goal. Tracking the progress of your plan is also a crucial part of the process.
(E) As we mentioned above, writing down our plans and goals and tracking them is a crucial part of our entries. We can build on this by making charts and tables to plan and track our progress. However, we should make sure that the goals we set are realistic and not far fetched. Small and specific goals are more likely to be achieved and this will therefore keep your moral up and positive.
(F) A very good practice one should surely follow is writing a positive quote or motivational thought at the start or end of every entry. This will help keep your attitude positive, moral high, mood good and mind peaceful.
As we end this article on shooting diary entries, we hope that all of you have learnt a lot. So, in the end remember, if we act smartly by regularly writing entries this practice can help you plan and track your shooting in a very systematic manner. It will also help you understand your shooting better and help you grow.
Do let us know what topics you would like to learn about in the comments section and don’t forget to share it with your shooting mates.