I missed it! (I still can't believe it)

Published: Mon, 01/09/12

It's been a fast holiday season and the new year

is in full swing! I spent the last 4 days on a deer

hunting adventure and I can say I've never been

in such awe. Hunting in the desert is TOUGH, the

terrain, visibility, time and preparation scouting,

practicing with a primitive weapon (a bow and arrow),

all the things that go into less than a 4% success

rate. That means 96% fail! When you think about

it, it's just like owning a business. 95% FAIL while

the 5% who succeed are richer than ever.

So check this out, I was within 15 yds of a small buck

3 times in 1 evening, he was chasing a HOT doe (a female

deer in heat, ready to breed), just being that close and

watching these deer run in circles was incredible. However,

I decided not to take him because he was a bit young and

I had the privilege of watching 2 other bigger bucks off in

the distance. My last night there, I was within 8 yds of the

biggest deer of my life, he was symmetrical 4x4 that would

have easily measured 150+ inches. In the deer hunting world

it's called "the buck of a lifetime". The wind was blowing the

right direction but I was facing the wrong direction so the deer

came in behind me, heading right out in front of me.

I couldn't move because he would see me, I couldn't breathe

because he would hear me, my adrenaline kicked in and I

was planning how I was going to fill my freezer with meat. I

had no choice but to move and hope I didn't spook him. The

moment of truth was near, I can't tell you how fast thoughts go

through your head in a matter of seconds. The deer was about

25 yards in front of me and I took my shot! A clean MISS! I

misjudged the distance by a fraction and shot right over top of

him. I will remember it the rest of my life. I've never been so close

to an animal of that size in the wild.

I was speechless, I couldn't believe I had just missed what would

have definitely been the biggest deer I've ever had an opportunity

to take.

So how does all this relate to your online business? Let

me explain...

It just goes to show you, no matter how good you are or how

good you think you are (I happen to think I'm pretty good, I shoot

my bow everyday), anything can happen. And even the pros still

make mistakes every once in a while. It not only comes down

to right place, right time, but perfection. There's no room for

marginal error. Even though timing played a huge part because

I was definitely in the right place at the right time, I made a rookie

mistake and miscalculated by inches and failed to perfect my shot

at the top of my game.

As I replay everything in my head I realize I rushed my shot and

didn't take my time like I should have. Had I taken my time to

properly calculate the distance, take a deep breath so I could

have relaxed and steadied my shot, the outcome would have been

far different. I just got too excited in the heat of the moment instead

of following through.

The same rules apply in business, if you're going to become a pro,

take your time and do it right the first time. Don't rush into it. Stay

committed. Just relax, have fun and enjoy the moment.

Lets have a great week T-O-G-E-T-H-E-R

To Your Success,

Eric Wilkes