Who, what, when, and where are the some of the most important questions people ask themselves when they are striving to complete their goals. Who? That's me! What? Insert your goal here. When? Any due date or competition date here. Where? The place this event will occur. These are the simplest questions that help guide us through everyday life. The question that forms the basis of our curiosity and molds our minds as we travel through life is the three-letter word: Why?
The word "why" can be defined as "for what purpose or reason". We ask this question when we are unsure about something, like why is the sky blue or why are you quitting school? We ask ourselves and other around us this question to find answers, solutions. We ask the why when we are confused or lost or when we lost the reason for something.
However, rarely do people ask themselves the question why when they are doing something that they do on a daily basis. You get up and make your bed, why? Studies show there is a small health benefit to making your bed every morning. Yet most people don't know that. They simply do it because that is what they were taught.
Finding the small purposes in daily actions give us fulfillment in our lives. These actions give us something to rally behind a mission. A short story written by John C. Maxwell illustrates a man who walks by three bricklayers busy working. The man asks the first bricklayer what he was doing "I'm laying bricks" was the reply. The second bricklayer responded to the question with "I'm building a wall". The third bricklayer responded with "I'm building a cathedral".
Each of these bricklayers had their own reasons for doing the same task. The first is simply doing it for the sake of working, probably to earn a paycheck. The second seems to be motivated to complete the task of building a wall. The third is driven by the desire to construct this religious building. Every brick that is laid is a brick closer to their aspiration.
The lesson that can be learned from the short story and the small question why is to find purpose in the things we do. Why am I going to practice? Why do I study for the test? Why do I workout? Are you laying the bricks for your cathedral? Or are you just going through the motions to just complete the task?
I am a professional shooting athlete, I spend my days crafting my skill to achieve personal goals. Why do I do this? Because I like the feeling of striving to be a part of something bigger than myself. Having been shooting for 8 years and over the course of that time, I have had wealth of experiences that shaped me as an individual. One of the goals, or why I do what I do, is to share these experiences with the younger athletes in the community so that they too can earn their way to such experiences.
During the 2017 USA Shooting National Championships, I wandered around the range talking to young athletes and their parents who had questions about fundamentals, technical stuff, or simply to settle a disagreement between them. The first question would be who, probably the shooter. Then what they were doing. And finally, how they felt about it. After that, I would ask them why. About 95% of all of those athletes stood there blankly and did not know why they were doing what they were doing. They were just doing what they were told to do, like laying the bricks down.
The cool part about being in a position to give back to the sport is to see what dreams and aspirations the younger shooters have, and many want to take the sport to college or even to the Olympics. Knowing the overarching why is crucial to one's success in sports and business. A good friend and training partner, Tim Sherry, told me "The "why" goes deeper than the goal. So, you say you want to go to the Olympics, why? Is it because you want to push yourself to be the best you can be? Or you love to compete and win? Or do you just really want to go to Tokyo? Having a deeper reason gives you the drive to put in the hours necessary".
Who? I'm Lucas. What? I want to make an impact on the shooting community. When? Every chance I get. Where? Everywhere I can. Why? To give others a model of success for them to follow.