When I was in college, I was President of the Resident Assistant Association on our campus for a year. We held meetings twice a month to discuss ways to support and entertain the Residence Hall members we were monitoring. I don’t remember much about all the activities and people involved because there were so many, but I do remember one meeting we had very clearly. That meeting has stayed with me for my entire life since then and I often recall the discussion in my mind.
Our Director of Residence Life spoke as a guest speaker that day and discussed the topic of freshmen not being able to prioritize their activities well and how they often let little things bring them down instead of staying focused on the important things.
Here’s how she explained it to us. Picture a target at the end of a 100-foot range. When a marksman aims at the target, he always aims at the center to obtain the highest marks. Ten points awarded for a bullseye. The next ring out is worth 9 points. The next ring out is worth 8 points and so on. It’s a basic concept.
Now picture those in your life who are important to you. Can you see them? They are the target. Those closest to us; spouses, children, parents and siblings are the bullseye. Our close friends and other relatives are the next ring out. The further away from the bullseye, the less important the people become. The outer lying ring could be the grocery store clerk or even the cashier at Taco Bell. They aren't worth many points on your target.
She went on to explain that many freshmen tend to get bothered with the little things and give those items permission to upset their daily routines or lives. Why spend thirty minutes upset about the slow traffic or a report that won’t print? Only one point. Maybe even zero. These items are on the outer ring of the target and many times aren’t even on the target, but the wide-open space surrounding the target. We give the unimportant things too much value and permission to bring us down. We are aiming at the wrong part of the target and need to focus on hitting the bullseye! Far more points awarded for that arrow than hitting the tree behind the target. It is up to us to practice our aim and to shoot at the high value parts of the target.
I will never forget that meeting and have thought about it so many times in my life. It’s a very simple concept to comprehend. The big points come from those closest to us. They care about our happiness and well-being. They are the ones who bring us dinner when we’re sick and the ones who want the very best for us. The drive-thru Taco Bell cashier does not. So today, aim for the bullseye because it’s worth ten points.
