Field Notes · · Updated
Are You Aiming at the Right Targets?
A darts night in Santa Monica, and a question about where your best energy actually goes.
Greg Murray, Founder, Human Creative Coaching
In short
Think of your life as a dartboard. The bullseye is your core relationships, values, and mission; the outer rings are meaningful but secondary; off the board is wasted energy. Most of us aren't failing to throw. We're aiming at the wrong rings. Define your bullseye, audit a week of your energy, and shift your aim.
In this piece
Watch the video: Recorded around the same week as the darts night that started this.
The other night, I found myself playing darts with friends in Santa Monica. If you know me, I'm not a regular dart player. I was just there to have a good time. But as I stepped up to take my turn, something clicked around intentionality in relationships and life.
With every throw, I had a choice. Was I just tossing darts randomly, or was I deliberately aiming at a target? And more importantly, was I even aiming at the right target? (Okay, maybe I missed the board once or twice.)
I started processing. Am I investing my time, energy, and resources into what I say truly matters? Do my actions reflect the values and priorities I've identified? Or am I scattering my focus, hitting everything except the bullseye?
What are you aiming at?
In darts, the highest-scoring section, the bullseye, requires precision and focus. The further from center, the fewer points. The same applies to life.
- The bullseye is your core relationships, values, and mission.
- The inner rings are meaningful but secondary: wider social circles, hobbies, good-but-not-essential work.
- The outer rings and off the board are wasted energy, time, and misplaced focus.
Are these areas getting your best energy, or your leftovers?
Who is closest to you?
If your life is a dartboard, who's in your bullseye? These are the people and priorities that matter most: family, best friends, trusted mentors, clients who genuinely align with your mission, and your own well-being. Yes, self-care and development belong in the bullseye. They affect every other arena of your life.
What is the map?
Without a map, you're throwing blind. Your map is your values, priorities, and long-term goals. Who do you want to be? What kind of impact do you want to have? What relationships and work truly fulfill you?
Take a moment: does where you spend your energy align with this map?
Does your investment match?
This is where it gets real. If you tracked your time and attention for a week, would it reflect your values? Or would it reveal distractions, misplaced effort, and unintentional living?
A gut-check: are you pouring effort into the outer rings while neglecting the bullseye? Giving your best energy to social media but not to face-to-face relationships. Overworking for clients who drain you while barely engaging the people who fill your cup. Saying you value health and growth but never making time for rest.
If your map and your investment don't align, it's time to adjust your aim.
How do you hit the right targets?
- Define your bullseye. Who and what deserve your best energy? Write them down.
- Audit your energy. For one week, track where your time, effort, and attention go. Compare it to your bullseye.
- Shift your aim. Redirect energy from the outer rings. Set boundaries around distractions and misaligned commitments. Schedule non-negotiable time for what matters most.
If you're consistently feeling burned out, disconnected, or unfulfilled, you may be stuck in the outer rings. Where are you spending too much effort for little return? What obligations pull you away from the center? What's one small adjustment this week?
Closing
Life is too short to waste darts on the wrong targets. If your aim is off, adjust it.
Be intentional with your energy. Invest in what matters most. Align your actions with your values. When you consistently hit your bullseye, you build a life of purpose, fulfillment, and meaningful success.
Questions I hear
What does "aiming at the right targets" mean?
Spending your best time, energy, and attention on your core relationships, values, and mission rather than on secondary commitments and distractions that happen to be louder.
How do I know what belongs in my bullseye?
Name the people you rely on and who rely on you, the values you want your life to reflect, and your own well-being. If it shapes every other arena of your life, it belongs in the center.
How do I audit where my energy goes?
Track your time and attention for one week without judgment, then compare it to your bullseye. The gaps show you where to shift your aim.
This article is written from a coaching perspective and is for general information. It is not psychotherapy, counseling, or medical advice, and it is not a substitute for care from a licensed professional.
Greg Murray · TPRAT certified, TLP Director, TPRAT co-facilitator. Coach to founders, executives, and artists. Writes here about what actually changes a person.
