EHAL Magazine February 2017

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Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine
©Everything Horses and Livestock | February 2017 |
A New Year Brings a New Start
With a New Year, comes a new start for many
cowboy mounted shooters. But for some, knowing
where to start can be overwhelming. Here is some
advice on being organized and preparing for the
shooting season ahead.
A good way to start is by getting yourself organized
at home; think about what you need in your barn
or arena to make life easier for yourself. Replace
broken equipment or tack before the season gets
underway and really think about what you need
when away from home as well.
The next step is to plan your competition calendar.
Choose the shoots where you want to compete and
at what level. This way you will have a goal in mind.
I believe goals are very important to anyone who is
competitive to make sure you are always pushing
yourself to achieve your best.
Goals
So, how does one go about setting goals for the
season ahead?
1. Write down your goals and schedule dates for
their evaluation. Feedback is an essential com-
ponent of the goal setting process. Without feed-
back, it is common to veer off course. With regular
feedback, you can make necessary adjustments
to stay on target.
2. Set long-term, intermediate, and short-term
goals. As you write out your goals for the season
ahead, first reflect on your longer term goals –
goals that look 2, 5 or even more years down the
road. These can also include a dream goal – some-
thing that looks inconceivable to achieve in the
near-term but a motivating target for the long-term
(e.g. finishing in the CMSA World Championships
Top Ten for someone who is currently shooting as a
Level 1 shooter).
As you think about your long-term goals, think
about what you enjoy most about cowboy mounted
shooting, what keeps you motivated, and what you
want to accomplish in the years ahead.
Once you’ve looked at the BIG picture, now focus
on establishing your goals for the shooting season
ahead. What do you want to accomplish this sea-
son? What are your top priority shooting events and
what do you want to accomplish at these events?
What abilities do you want to improve? What perfor-
mances do you want to achieve?
Finally, once you’ve set your goals for this season,
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