In so many areas of our lives, we focus on the outcome, not the process that we follow to achieve it.
As Shane Parrish wrote in his recent newsletter:
“Champions obsess over fundamentals, not trophies.
While others chase revenue and fancy titles, outliers focus on what they can control today: reading one more book, making one more phone call, and reviewing that email one final time.
They know that excellence comes from perfecting the basics.
Stop worrying about where the arrow lands. Master the art of drawing the bow."
In the western world, we are conditioned to pay less attention to how we hold and draw the bow and instead we focus on hitting the bullseye.
The idea of Japanese archery as a metaphor for focusing on process
over outcome came to popular attention with the first publication of cult classic Zen in the Art of Archery by German philosophy professor Eugen Herrigel in 1953.
The book explores the intersection of Zen philosophy and the traditional Japanese martial art of Kyudo [archery] and is a personal account of Herrigel's journey in the 1920s learning archery under the guidance of a Japanese Zen master Awa Kenzo.
Awa Kenzo's teaching method offered profound insights into the Zen approach to mastery, discipline, and mindfulness.
Here are some of the key points:
The Process Over the Goal
Herrigel learns that the journey of practice and self-discipline is more important than hitting the target. Success is a byproduct of being fully present in the moment.
This reflects the Zen principle of valuing the process over the end result.
The Archer And The Target Become One
Herrigel emphasizes that archery in Japan is not merely a physical or technical skill but a spiritual discipline aimed at achieving a state of inner stillness and self-transcendence.
The ultimate goal is to "let the shot fall" rather than consciously aiming and shooting.
Effortless Action (Wu Wei)
The book underscores the importance of overcoming the ego to achieve mastery. The archer must relinquish the desire to succeed or control the outcome.
True mastery comes when the self is dissolved, and actions flow from a deeper, unconscious place.
Zen archery requires the unity of mind, body, and spirit. The archer must cultivate mindfulness and awareness to align their physical actions with their mental state. Breathing and meditation are essential tools for achieving this harmony.
A central concept in the book is wu wei, or effortless action. The archer must act without self-conscious effort, allowing the bow to release the arrow naturally and intuitively.
This state can only be achieved by letting go of the ego and surrendering to the flow of the moment.
There are various illustrations of characters with this skill in the world of popular fiction notably in the film "The Last Samurai" starring Tom Cruise, also in the book "Shogun" by James Clavell recently presented as a TV mini series on Disney in which there is a memorable scene with a samurai master archer.
Buntaro - Samurai Master Archer
In Shōgun by James Clavell,
there is a memorable scene where Buntaro, a samurai master archer,
demonstrates his incredible skill with a bow to Englishman John Blackthorne.
During this scene, Buntaro fires arrows through the thin walls of a Japanese house with remarkable precision, striking a distant gatepost that lies outside and out of sight.
When Blackthorne then examines the gatepost after Buntaro's incredible archery demonstration, he is stunned to see that the arrows are embedded so precisely that their shafts are nearly touching.
The grouping of the arrows is so tight that it underscores Buntaro's extraordinary skill, discipline, and control.
This near-perfect alignment of the arrows on the gatepost serves as a testament to the mastery of Buntaro's craft and leaves Blackthorne both awed and intimidated by the precision and power of samurai training.
Turning to the world of professional heavyweight boxing the current reigning champion, Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk, is an athlete of great talent and humility. Usyk has spoken of the path that he follows which he likens to that of a samurai warrior.
Oleksandr Usyk - Current World Heavyweight Boxing Champion
Amateur Record: 350 fights - won 335 lost 15
Professional Record: 23 wins and no losses
Usyk is probably the greatest boxer of all in the current generation. Untypically for a boxer at his level, Usyk always displays a lack of ego, humility and respect for his opponents. He has this to say about his approach:
Now we need to move beyond the metaphor and look at the practical aspects of how to master the art of drawing the bow. This falls into two categories: the outer game and the inner game.
The Outer Game
Here are 2 aspects of the outer game of how to master the art of drawing the bow:
[1] Keep Doing The Boring Things
We live in a world dominated by social media that focuses on results and especially on big success, but it overlooks the process.
We live in a world that glorifies the results and not the process.
We see the knockout punch, we hear the hit song, we enjoy the dramatic performance but not the years of effort that went into perfecting it.
We see results but not the hard work.
The only way you can be far above average is to find a way to do the same thing over and over again.
As Bruce Lee allegedly said: “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”
For you to become really good at something, to acquire mastery, requires practice and endless attention to detail - and this involves repetition and that eventually can become boring.
In archery, if you put intensity, focus and sincerity into the process—where you place our feet, how you hold the bow, how you breathe during the release of the arrow - then hitting the bullseye is simply a side effect.
As James Clear puts it:
"The point is not to worry about hitting the target.
The only way to become excellent is to be endlessly fascinated by doing the same thing over and over. You have to fall in love with the boredom of doing the work and embrace each piece of the process.
The point is to take that moment of complete awareness and focus, and carry it with you everywhere in life."
[2] Engage In Deliberate Practice
Endless repetition of routine tasks and obsession over the
details is extremely important, but to improve and develop your skills
you need to engage in deliberate practice.
Deliberate Practice is a structured approach to skill development that focuses on improving performance through focused, systematic, and purposeful effort.
Unlike general practice, which may involve repeating a task with little thought, deliberate practice involves targeted activities designed to stretch current abilities.
Deliberate practice is a method for improving your performance at anything, based on constant feedback and working at the edge of your abilities. Elite people in every field use it to build up their expertise.
Here's a summary of its key elements:
This method, popularized by researchers like Anders Ericsson, is especially effective for mastering complex skills in areas like music, sports, or professional work. It emphasizes intentionality and structured improvement over time.
Recommended Resource:
The Inner Game
Here are 4 aspects of the inner game of how to master the art of drawing the bow:
[1] Practice Being Present
The foundation to this is gaining a measure of control over your mind. To perform at a high level, you must diligently and consistently, focus on being present.
This is not a state you can just “turn on,” if you aren’t practicing it.
Your everyday life must reinforce how you hope to perform at the highest level.
“The secret is that everything is always on the line. The more present we are at practice, the more present we will be in competition, in the boardroom, at the exam, the operating table, the big stage.
If we have any hope of attaining excellence, let alone of showing what we’ve got under pressure, we have to be prepared by a lifestyle of reinforcement. Presence must be like breathing.” [Josh Waitzkin]
Recommended Resource:
Freeing Yourself From Your Mind - 6 Key Practices From Eckhart Tolle
[2] Non Attached Mind
We
have an inbuilt, hardwired tendency to automatically attach to our
desired outcome which adds heavily to the weight of expectation.
You need to learn how to practice non-attachment by consciously setting aside your preferred outcome or goal - or indeed any outcome or goal - and just focusing on the processes involved in the task in hand.
A focus on process, rather than outcome, leads to better performance.
Learn how to practice non-attached mind
Non-Attached Mind - does not seek to gain anything
[3] A Focused Mind Of Relaxed Alertness
The focused mindset is unstressed yet constantly aware of your body, mind, and surroundings.
The focused mindset is about choosing to act intentionally and with purpose.
It is not the target that matters. It is not the finish line that matters.
How you approach your goal is what determines the outcome. Aiming is everything.
It is irrelevant if you are winning or if you are losing. It is irrelevant if you are starting or near the end.
Stay focused regardless of what has happened so far.
Practice focused mindset
Focused Mind - focused on action with an effortless vigilance
[4] Flowing Mind - Doing Without Doing
Flowing Mind is a mindset that is fully present and aware whilst taking action.
It is mindset of pure mental clarity devoid of ego and free of all emotions and thoughts. It is one that we often associate with great performers.
Everything in life has its own flow, its own pace and speed. If you can tune into and align yourself with it, you can achieve without undue exertion and enjoy effortless ease in all that you do.
You will find that you instinctively know what to do and when to do it.
Practice flowing mind
Flowing Mind - is fully present and aware whilst taking action
Further Reading On This Site:
Return from "Master The Art Of Drawing The Bow" to: Walking The Talk
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