Investing In Your Offseason

Today’s article comes from a two-time podcast guest, past article contributor, and my good friend, Joe Wilson. He shares his thoughts and tips on becoming a better hunter through offseason work and how even the little things (if done with discipline) add up. Enjoy! – AP

By Joe Wilson

Disclaimer: I am not, nor claim to be, any of the following: a motivation speaker, “hardest worker in the room”, or any other influential-type person you can think of. What I am is someone who tries to become better today than I was yesterday.

Let’s be honest, most of us struggle to find motivation in the hunting offseason. The time between now and opening day seems like an eternity. Plus if you go outside after 10 am your sweat could be measured in gallons and you always run the risk of being carried off by those demons known as mosquitos. But we also all know that now is the time to put in the work that pays dividends in the fall. So stand up, take a quick stretch, and repeat the same words that Gary Gilmore said right before being executed; “Let’s do it.” (Fun fact; this was the motivation behind Nike’s famous “Just Do It’ ad campaign. Remember that the next time you put on a piece of clothing with a swoosh on it). So what’s next? Set some goals, right? The problem is that goals often seem insurmountable, especially at the start.

How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time. This is one of my favorite maxims, which comes from an African proverb. It reminds me to avoid looking at an obstacle as a whole. Let’s pretend you’ve never been out west or hunted elk. If you look at a potential trip, it is easy to be overwhelmed. Where do I go? What tactics do I use? What about my equipment, will it be enough for elk? What happens if I actually shoot an elk? Thinking about all of this at once is enough to become so discouraged that you may never even start. 

The best way to prepare will be to give yourself plenty of time to avoid feeling rushed and break it up into small parts. You could start with putting together a workout regimen to get yourself into shape. Next, create a gear list and reach out to those who have done this type of trip and run it by them. Then set a goal of researching which state you would like to go. A good starting place is the Transition Wild beginner Guide To Elk Hunting (you’re welcome for the plug). Then focus on your calling. I think you get the idea. In essence, never focus on a problem as a whole. Break it down into smaller problems and by attaining smaller goals you will feel a sense of accomplishment each time you reach a goal, which will keep you motivated to get to your ultimate goal. 

10 minutes a day / 1% better every day

These are two phrases I have written down to remind me to do something every single day to work towards my goal. It is fashionable to talk about how many arrows someone shoots a day or how many miles they run but most of us hardly have any time to spare. I have found that even 10 minutes a day can go a long way. Think about it; that is over an hour a week, 5 hours a month, and 60 hours a year total by taking the time you usually use thinking about how much you don’t want to get out of bed (guilty) and using it towards something productive. How much better of an archer would you be at the end of the year with 60 extra hours of practice? For my example, I had a goal to get in better shape so every day I started committing myself to do one of the following; 100 pushups, 50 pull-ups, or a 1-mile run. All of these take around 10 minutes.  

I also like to imagine getting 1% better at something every day. I like this mindset because 1% seems like such an attainable thing at its core because you’re basically telling yourself, “listen self, we both know we aren’t very good at this but let’s just try to suck a little less today.” A month of this and you will be over 33% (assuming compound interest here. Yes, I am a nerd) better. A 33% return in just a month, sign me up for that investment. 

Track Progress

Momentum is a huge factor when it comes to progress. Every time I completed a 10-minute workout, I would put a tally up on a dry erase board. (Funny story; my wife thought I was keeping score against her on something she couldn’t figure out. I should have kept that up and watched her anger grow as the tallies kept going. Ahh married life.) This was a constant reminder to me to do my workout and positive reinforcement for my progress. I made it all the way past 40 days in a row at one point before having to start over. By having a constant reminder for how far I had come, I was motivated to get my goal done for the day because I didn’t want to break the streak. 

Now you may be asking yourself, “what can I do for 10 minutes a day that will make me a better hunter?” Here are some suggestions:

• 10 minutes of shooting your bow or using a training aid. 
• 10 minutes a day of dry firing your gun
• 10 minutes of digital scouting aerial/topo maps
• 10 minutes of reading hunting books
• 10 minutes practicing calling while driving
• 10 minutes studying natural foods and where they grow
• 10 minutes spent researching out of state trips
• 10 minutes practicing ascending/descending with your mobile stand

Hunting is complex and has many different facets that go into being a great hunter. You can work for decades and still have areas to improve. 

Discipline Equals Freedom

It can be helpful to gain insights from others to have made a habit of completing tasks regularly. Many think that successful people wake up every day ready to seize their goals. It is a myth. Most days you will come up with every excuse not to but those that get things done just ignore these thoughts and press on. One of my favorite guys to follow on social media is Jocko Willink, who is a retired Navy seal and one of the most mentally strong people you will ever see. He has the simple saying, “Discipline equals freedom”. What he means is that If you are disciplined and make working on goals as much of your daily routine as showering, you will have more free time to do what you want by not wasting time procrastinating and thinking about what you should be doing. To prove he lives this motto, he literally takes a picture of his watch every morning at 4:30 am when he gets up. If following people like this “up” your motivation factor, try Cameron Hanes, Courtney Dauwalter, John Dudley, Joe Rogan, Andy Stumpf, and David Goggins. 

Keep it fun

It would seem obvious but I feel most people don’t realize if you find a way to make something fun, no matter how unpleasant it first appears, you are more likely to do it. Give yourself a small reward for completing a task. Just as your dog will sit for a treat, you can train yourself to go for a run if you promise yourself a nice smoothie afterward. Life is too short to be serious all the time but it is also too short to fail to live up to your potential. The best time to have started working towards a goal was yesterday but today comes in a close second.