Need vs. Want, and New Year's Resolutions

After being involved with my club for about four years, and the same amount of time in these forums, it's interesting how "need" seems to have changed to "want".  They're both four letters, and sometimes the difference between them gets blurry.

Back when I signed up here, I was using a Colt Combat Commander and a Model 41 at my club, and I actually survived a match, shooting the 41.  There were lots of things back then that seemed like "need", not "want", such as a bullseye suitable 1911 (I got my Les Baer, as it was recommended), and the High Standard now in my Avatar.  The biggest "need" was to improve my ability, which quickly became a "want", meaning that's where most of my time went.  I also decided that my single station reloading press would be better served with a Progressive.  I think that was a "want", not a "need", but considering the time it took, I think "need" was appropriate.

Fast forward to 2020.  Most of my guns work most of the time, but the only fully goof-proof guns I've got are my revolvers.  I brought a gunsmith into the middle of my shooting life, and there's a good chance that the guns that were getting finicky now will behave.  I would call "reliability" a "need", not a "want".  I'm still frustrated about some of this, including guns like my Nelson that I spent a lot of time on, until Larry and his son finally decided to replace it.  The odds are the new one will be reliable.  

Fast forward to a three month trip to India, which is coming to an end soon.  There is no "need", as I'm not even home, but the longer I go without shooting, the more "want" I am dealing with.  After two months of slowly searching for a High Standard, I bought one that Roddy Toyota feels will be reliable - and it looks like the gun I've dreamed of having for ages.  I think that's a "want", not a "need".  Then there was a big discussion on a Pardini.  My first impression of one of them was totally wrong, and in the process of reading and writing, and then going to websites, I'm feeling I should consider buying one for myself.  This is 100% "want", and 0% "need".  So I'll wait until I'm back home, shooting, doing matches, reloading, giving better shooters in this forum more gray hair from trying to help me.....   but thoroughly enjoying Bullseye.  

If I step back, and just consider what's going on, there is absolutely nothing right now that I "need".  It's all practice, and dry-fire, and avoiding mistakes.  I now truly believe if I point the gun more less at the middle of a target, and if I don't mess it all up when I fire, I'll do fine AS LONG AS THE GUN BEHAVES.  So my current plan is to brighten up my red dot as someone else described, until it covers the whole bull, and ONLY concentrate on not disturbing the gun.  

You guys are a whole bunch of fun to hang out with, even the ones who are like very strict professors who won't be satisfied with anything less than perfection.  I no longer need to "win", as I figure I've already "won".  Just doing this stuff is already winning, as it's so enjoyable.  So if I was to make any "New Year's Resolutions", I guess it would just be to have a gun that doesn't mess up, and for me to not "mess up" when I work the trigger.  That's plenty.

As to new "toys", I'm plenty excited to be getting one of my "dream guns" from Roddy (just a "want", not "need", still want to get one of Alan's new creations (another "want", not a "need"), and then there's this itch about a Pardini. The itch will either go away on its own, or if I still want one in a month or three, I'll look into it.

You should like the gun from Roddy.  I have seen it.  It's nice.

Thanks, Jack.  Just being from Roddy means a LOT.

I need to shoot more....

If you "want" to improve your shooting, you "need" to train harder...