I have been kicking around the idea of putting together a quick post every Sunday (or every other Sunday) of a few sentences touching on a subject or asking a specific question (without actually answering it, leaving it to the reader to answer). We can go back and forth here via comments or via email, guess we will how it works out. So lets start off with something heavy.
Imagine that you are running a drill, any particular drill or "test" that you are timed on. You know what time some "high level" shooters are able to complete the drill consistently in and you strive to complete it in the best time you can. You have a goal you work towards, meaning that fast time, which is normally coupled with an accuracy standard. Is the juice worth the squeeze? Is it just the status of that achievement you are working towards or are you actually trying to learn how to become a better shooter, a better practitioner of firearms related skill-sets? We seem to focus a lot on these arbitrary, made up goals, which have no actual impact in reality. What does it matter how quickly you can shoot a particular drill and post a youtube video on the internet about when you may never see the threat coming in the first place? What does it matter how precise you can shoot a drill if you go somewhere you cannot carry a firearm? How many other things are you neglecting chasing that arbitrary standard? We are all guilty of this, but take a moment and ask yourself - is the upkeep worth the reward? Are you gaining something very applicable to your daily life or are you virtue signalling in order to gain status in a particular group? Would it be more prudent to strive for a repeatable/consistent precise pace which you can maintain without serious upkeep and without giving up time to train certain things that have no basis in reality?