In Singapore, all able-bodied males have to serve in the Armed Forces as part of National Service. The past 2 weeks, I was recalled to complete my annual in-camp training where we ensure that we are always operationally ready to respond to any threats.
A Personal Story
Sometime within the 2 weeks, I was reminded of my trainee days where I was training to be a specialist, and we were learning to fire the Light Anti-Tank Weapon, affectionately known to us as the LAW. That day, we were going to fire a sub-calibre (think of it as a reduced version of the actual weapon) twice, and those who hit the target both times will get to fire the real thing! Most of us were looking forward to being able to fire the real thing, after-all, its most probably going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most of us.
As I waited, it eventually came to my turn. I stepped up to the firing range, opened my aiming sight, and aligned to the target.
“Where are you aiming!?” my instructor barked. “You should be aiming more to your left!”
With my target in plain sight, I was slightly confused. But my eyes were focused on my target, I was determined to make the mark and get to fire the real weapon. ONE ROUND AWAY! The projectile flew, and made contact with the large metal target with a satisfying ring after being hit. I was proud!
“OEI!” exclaimed my instructor. “You hit the wrong target, goondu! (That’s singlish for idiot or nitwit)”. Confusion came over me again. “At least you hit the target.” he said. That was round 1.
Round 2, I was determined to hit the target once again, but the right target this time. I stepped up to the firing range, took my aim, ONE ROUND AWAY! My shot was true, and once again, the large metal target resounded after being hit. “OEI! You hit the wrong target again!!” I was clearly embarrassed… I was sure I had the right target. “Well, since you have hit the target twice, even though you hit the wrong target, TWICE, you will get to fire the actual LAW.” WOOHOO!
Round 3, this time I was armed with the real thing, I was determined to get my target right. I lined up the sight to the target, controlling my breathing to minimise movement (missing the target with the real weapon would be more embarrassing than hitting the wrong target!). ONE ROUND AWAY! The projectile flew off, almost in slow motion, and hit the target with a magnificent explosion! I waited to see if I would get another “OEI!” from my instructor. None came. “Good Job!” was what I heard instead. Fully contented, I closed my aiming sight and accidentally touched the hot metal of the weapon and burnt my finger….
Tip 1 – Accept Feedback, Get the Right Target
I was so focused on the target that I didn’t really register the feedback from my instructor the first time round. I had my target in sight, and I so focused on it that little else mattered.
If you have the Focus Talent Theme as a dominant themes, you may sometimes also find that you have ignored what others are telling you when you sights are set on a target. Sometimes, it is useful to slow down and see if the feedback others are giving will help you to hit the right target.
Tip 2 – Beware of Tunnel Vision
When I was firing the second round, I was aware of the target I needed to hit. Somehow, when transiting from looking at the target with my bare eyes to looking for the target through the scope, I ended up with the wrong target again. That was because once I looked through the scope, I lost sight of the big picture, and got the wrong target.
That can happen to us in our daily lives as well. You may think that you have the big picture, and some form of transition takes place – a distraction perhaps, and you don’t realise that your sight has shifted to the wrong target. And you aren’t aware of it because you are now in “Tunnel Vision” mode, filtering other things away. The danger is, this time round, you may think you got the right target this time round. It may be too late after the round has been fired, and the (wrong) target hit. Be aware of what these transitions are for you, and create a way for you to “check your aim” when they occur.
Tip 3 – Keep other priorities in sight
When I fired the third round, I finally hit my target, but I ended up blistering my finger (ok, I know I’m not your model soldier). And that’s because I forgot to keep in mind the safety aspect of closing the weapon after firing.
Translated to our daily life, we need to be careful that we neglect some of the other priorities in our lives because we are so focused on just a few of them. That can result in something much worse than a blistered finger. If this sounds like you, you can use a list (or ask a good friend) to keep your priorities in sight, and in check.
Do you have Focus in your Dominant Themes? Share your thoughts on the story and how the theme has shown up in your own life in the comments below.
