8 Life Lessons You’ll Learn From Taking Up Archery

Not too long ago, I’ve occupied myself by taking up a new hobby. Because life is only once and we should always explore new things, right? (Fellow Buddhists who believe in reincarnation, ignore the former part)

Thus, from a beginner’s perspective, I present to you the life lessons I’ve acquired from archery.

1. Never wear nice shoes to the field. Or any places involving grass patches and soil.

Always consider the potential conflicts or repercussions that you will encounter before you embark on a ‘journey’, whether it’s a spontaneous trip to India or skipping work just to get the 8 hours of sleep you’ve been dying to get.

2. Don’t wear your nice pants either, unless you prefer them looking soiled and dusty.

Always be prepared for a Plan B, that way you will never be disappointed when things don’t work out in your pursuits.

3. Don’t try to overachieve by focusing on target grouping before you get your form and alignment right.

Make sure your life is in order before you work on achieving your long-term life goals.

4. Don’t expect to get everything perfect quickly.

Take small steps in your endeavors, the Great Wall wasn’t built in the span of one day.

5. Don’t expect everything to be like how you see in the movies.

Be realistic, not idealistic, and understand that reality is different from how the general media portrays it. While Jennifer Lawrence may be trained by a four-time archery Olympian for the Katniss Everdeen role in ‘The Hunger Games’, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye in ‘The Avengers’ had questionable techniques.

6. Show up to practice if you want to improve.

Practice makes perfect; don’t be too discouraged if your mushroom risotto tastes funny on your first attempt, Wolfgang Puck was once a beginner too.

7. Breathe in fresh air from the field and be grateful for the opportunity.

Take time out of your hectic schedule to pause, enjoy life, and find your inner peace and stability.

8. Lastly, take up archery, any sport for that matter, or even a new favorite past time that doesn’t involve straining your muscles.

Because life is short, you only live once, and you might unexpectedly run into fellow Poe or Pokemon lovers.