Five Things I’m Focusing on in 2022- You Probably Should, Too The Everyday Marksman

As a general rule, I don't do the whole resolution thing at the start of every year. That doesn't mean I don't believe in evaluating where I'm at and setting some goals for the year. 



Since we're now into 2022, I thought it was a good time to lay down my "big picture" priorities for myself this year, my reasoning for them, and at least some measure of a plan for making them happen.



The plan part is important. To quote one of my prior commanders, "A goal without a plan is a hope, and hope isn't a valid course of action."



This particular episode is a little interesting because I'm recording separately as a podcast, but also doing a livestream on it as well. So you'll find both the audio above and the stream below. If you didn't get to participate in the stream, join up for the next one! I really like the participation and interaction we get out of these.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpkGsC-heMY

2022 Priorities

So here we go, the five main things I'm focusing on this year. To be honest, I had a bit of trouble trying to document these because there was of course lots of things I want to make happen this year professionally, personally, and with The Everyday Marksman. All of that doesn't fit into five things, though.



Here they are, in no particular order. I'll dig into each of these further.



* Handgun shooting

* Learning and skills acquisition

* Physical fitness, with an emphasis on mobility

* Building and enforcing good nutrition habits

* Finding balance of seriousness and fun



Handgun Shooting

The Everyday Marksman is supposed to be about the complete set of skills a prepared and capable citizen would have. I've spent a lot of time and [digital] ink talking about rifle marksmanship, precision rifle skills, and more. But only a scant amount talking about handguns.



The reason for that is pretty simple: I'm way less proficient with handguns. 



I get reminded of this every time I go to the range to accuracy test a pistol, and have trouble with producing good groups even off of a rest. It could be the gun, for sure, but I know I am just way less stable with my sight picture than I should be.



It's also not just about pistol accuracy, but the whole set of skills that go into being a Modern Day Gunslinger.



While it's been some time since I last got to shoot at the range with someone, I can't help but remember just how much better someone like my friend Justin Fields of Swift Silent Deadly was than me the last time we went.

Practical Reasons

Aside from the idea that handguns are just something that I don't think I'm sufficiently skilled at, I also think there's a serious practical reason. I've been saying it here and elsewhere, but something feels wrong, like the fabric that holds things together is getting ever more frayed. We have some pretty blatant violence going on around the country and there isn't a whole lot being done about it.



When you think about it, you're far more likely to have a handgun nearby than a rifle in an emergency. Handguns are simply more discrete, and a concealed gun is not going to draw attention the way a rifle and load carrying equipment will.



At this stage of [potential] low intensity conflict, the handgun is the best way to go for personal defense right now.

Learning and Skills Acquisition

This is a broad topic, with a lot of components. This year I'm putting more emphasis on learning new things across the board. 



At one level, I'm committing to reading at least one book per month.