Trying to get motivated to practice for my next match

In normal years I have the ability to shoot 3-4 times a week and loved it. This year with all the component shortages I am hoarding what I have left. The middle of October is the Florida State Championships and I just don’t have the desire to go practice! Am I the only one that feels like this?

Don't practice.  Train!  You can do that without ammo for a lot of things.  Just check out the Fundamentals topic!

CR

Everyone loses motivation every once in a while! Sometimes you just gotta grab your bootstraps and pull, git er done! Ain't nothin to it but to do it!!!!!!!!!

I believe that you only have motivation to train, if you have a goal. Maybe you've reached your goal.

Dry fire. Lift weights to keep the arm strength up. If you shoot 22 EIC, practice the arm lift, settle in and dry fire a shot. If you shoot revolver dry fire five shot strings. Go for walks, jogs, etc to build endurance so you’re not fatigued as fast during a full 2700 all in one day or a 900 or what ever. Dry fire some more. Dry fire agin. 

I was reading “With Winning in Mind” by Lanny Bassham and there was a time in his life where he could not make it to a range to live fire for a couple of years. He made it to a range maybe twice. Nearly all his training was dry fire and holding drills. He won the match he went to that he was training for despite the lack of live fire. Train your self to do what you have to do. Mentally and physically. The “bang” part of it is a small part of it.

Guys I get the training and dry fire but if you read close I have enough since I hoarded all year to be able to go practice but I just don’t have a desire to. I have been at this since my Marine Corps time in the 80’s and for the first time I just don’t feel like it.

Sometimes the hardest part is just getting started.

If I wasn't on the other side of the state I'd drag you to the range.

Make time to go practice once even if you don’t want to. Go, shoot a NMC with each gun. See how it goes. If you don’t have an interest anymore then that’s ok. We all have individual interests in this sport. Some of us are die hard and some are casual once in a while shooters.
That’s fine. Maybe you’re shifting your interests to something else during this time in your life. That’s okay. Decide what you want from this sport, and then realize what it takes to achieve that. So if it’s to progress, you have to find motivation to go train and practice. If it’s a casual thing then don’t sweat training. Just go shoot and and have fun win/lose/draw. It’s on you to decide what you want out of it and what you’re willing to do to get it.

For me, sometimes I’m not motivated to train if I’ve been at it hard for a while. But I still want to shoot. So I go plink with a different non-competitive gun, or a rifle. And in a few days I come back around to wanting to train. Or I might read a book or reread some chapters about shooting and that will inspire me to go train. To each their own.

If you do not feel like practicing or training, don't.

If your heart is not in it, you will just be wasting ammo.  

Take a break.  Couples days, a week or so.  

Pretty soon you will want to get back to the range and that's when you will do your best training. 

Regards, 
Crankster

I understand the lack of motivation to train/practice.  So instead just do something fun.  Brush the dust off something you haven't shot in a while and take it to the range.  Just going out knowing that your only reason to go to the range is to have some fun might help to change your mood.

To further address my previous post.
There are lots of things that are training for shooting that don't even involve actual shooting or dryfiring.

Run, exercise, workout at the gym.
Play another sport; bowling, golf, tennis, etc.
Read books and articles related to mental focus and performance.
Take the time to catalogue all your equipment and materials.  

Then move on to updating and reviewing your journal. (You do have a shooting journal, don't you?)  If not, then this is the time to start one.  Write down what you feel, what you want to accomplish or goals and what you have done so far.  Collect your thoughts and think out and lay out your plan (what you want to work on, what you may need / desire equipment / time / material wise, etc.)  

And finally, the best way to get back to wanting to do something is to just watch someone else do it, but do not participate yourself.
Simply watch others participating. Go to a match and watch ALL day without firing single shot. (You can help out on the line, etc., help is always appreciated.)  Then see how you feel at the end of the day.  Maybe it will let you know where your heart really is right now.  Eventually the desire just might return. 
 
CR

Lots of good advice in this thread about burnout, and some good insight about the distinction between "I have a goal, but I'm finding it hard to get motivated to do the hard work to get there" vs. "I'm just kind of burned out."

It sounds like you might be a little more of the latter, in which case the "take a break," advice is probably best.

For the former, I've been a fan of the "lace up the running shoes every day" approach, or what I like to call "watershed workouts" in my journal. The concept comes from marathon runners, who have to do a lot of punishing training, and don't always feel like it. It goes something like, "I may not run every day. I may not hit every milestone in my training plan. But I will at least put on my running shoes and lace them up every day."

I call them "watershed workouts," because it's that little bit when you really don't want to go to the gym/range, but you do, that puts you over the hump.

Well, if you don't want to waste your precious ammo or primers (which I totally understand, I feel the same way every now and then), try shooting air pistols. Air is free (for now) and pellets are cheap. Shoot 10m pistol, shoot some fun targets, shoot airgun silhouette, whatever you like.
It is still a good training and a lot of fun.

Or, as an alternative (and I did that too) - go grab a BBQ or a steak dinner and some beer with your non-shooting friends and brag about how you can hit that X ring at 50 yards one-handed and with iron sights  And I'm serious, sometimes we all have to remind ourselves how awesome we are, especially when things don't go the way you'd want.

This thread shows the value of cross-training.  My cross-training is to go shoot a “combat” course.  For 400-509 rounds of 9mm, I get some trigger time and have fun.  It’s different than my normal training.  There’s no pressure.  I still try and group my shots tightly, but if one gets away it’s no biggie.  I’m having fun!  And that’s the point.  Competitive shooters sometimes forget that shooting should be fun.

CR10X wrote:Don't practice.  Train!  You can do that without ammo for a lot of things.  Just check out the Fundamentals topic!

CR

A huge error I see in most shooters is the quantity over quality shooting routines. If you keep your focus a heavy dry firing plan with light live shooting plan to confirm the dry firing techniques/training you can keep your skill level stable and even improve your skills. Thinking about shooting when not shooting also helps immensely. Most of my shooting these days is test firing pistols after working on them. Last night I shot a 295 NMC with my 13 twist 45. I was focusing on a trigger pulling technique and mentally was demanding a certain type of shot execution. I worked those 30 shots to near perfection. So my training was short, positive and confirmed my technique. I was happy with only 30 shots and look forward to the next time. Definitely far from being burned out lol.
Jon

CR10X wrote:I And finally, the best way to get back to wanting to do something is to just watch someone else do it, but do not participate yourself.
Simply watch others participating. Go to a match and watch ALL day without firing single shot. (You can help out on the line, etc., help is always appreciated.)  Then see how you feel at the end of the day.  Maybe it will let you know where your heart really is right now.  Eventually the desire just might return. 
 
CR

As a newbie to this sport, I hesitate to comment. But this ^^^ advice worked amazingly well for me.  Maybe even take someone under your wing. Going to the gym and just watching new weightlifters start and try to figure out the magic was a game changer for me after several age related injuries.  Not that I was much more than a middling lifter, but it’s a charge watching new people and supporting them.

One question, if you’re burnt, why are you planning to attend / compete at the state championships?  Just curious.

Just remember to bring a jacket it will be cold up here for you.  

dannyd93140 wrote:Just remember to bring a jacket it will be cold up here for you.  

Lmao yeah it’s going to be so cold! Lol

The pistol palace is in great shape.

dannyd93140 wrote:The pistol palace is in great shape.

Gateway really has it going on! Their bullseye range is perfect

That’s the first range I broke 890 with 22, and in the RAIN. My gun was soaked!
Jon

Jon Eulette wrote:That’s the first range I broke 890 with 22, and in the RAIN. My gun was soaked!
Jon

Jon every damn Dixie Match it rains! Lmao

James, every time I’ve shot a Florida match it’s rained cats and dogs. That day was horrible though. Even with overhead cover it was like shooting without cover. Ankle deep in water wearing low quarters lol.
Jon

That’s the New Pistol Palace; the old one is to the left as you come in the gate.  Started shooting there in 1984; I had just come from Southern California.

Interesting reading - I haven't been shooting in going on two months, as they are rebuilding my range, all new woodwork, new covers over the shooters, and a lot more.  With all my newly found free time, I've been concentrating on photography.  I went from typically going 4x per week, to nothing.  :-(

I don't spend that much time in this forum, as reading things here makes me aware of what I'm missing.