It doesn’t matter how talented you are, practice is what separates the average from the good, and the good from the great. However, the big problem most of us face is the lack of time to dedicate to improve our shooting skills. And you know what? I get it, I love to spend time with my son, I enjoy providing my family with home-made food, I like to be fit and go to the gym. On top of that, I am a straight-A college student, whew … and I am not done! I am also an entrepreneur and a very active competitive shooter. So, I am dedicating this video to everyone who feels the lack of time is getting in the way to improve their shooting skills. So, grab a pen and paper and get started on improving your shooting skills and time management.
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What are your goals? In here, you will write down your goals as a gun owner. Be specific and write down your current skill level. For example: Gain confidence and proficiency with appendix carry. You are new to this form of conceal-and-carry. Knowing what you want to accomplish and how proficient you are will help you asses the amount of effort necessary to achieve your goals.
Do you have the right equipment or gear? The answer to this question will make sure that the time we dedicate to improve the new skill is not wasted. For example: Is your current holster the best option for your body size and your daily outfits? To make sure we maximize our time and effort, we must evaluate all the variables that can affect how soon we can reach our goal.
How much time can we dedicate to our training? Here is when must of us get stuck. The first answer is: I have no time to practice. But is that true? Can you spare an hour? Or 30 minutes? Or maybe 15 minutes a day? The problem is that most people believe they need to practice hours and hours. And while that can exponentially improve anyone’s skills, practicing 15 or 20 minutes a day also will enhance your skills.
I know it sounds like a lot, but it is not. Let’s start with a small example, and you can increase the time as much as you can. For this example, you are going to practice for 30 minutes a day. You will accomplish that by (a) Setting up a time in the morning (right after you wake up), and a time at night (right before going to bed. And (b) by dedicating 15 minutes during each session.
Instead of practicing everything at once, dedicate both sessions of each day to practice 1 shooting skill. For example, Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays, you will practice the draw, while Tuesdays and Thursday you will practice magazine changes.
I recommend going to the range at least once a week, especially when you are developing new shooting skills. Shooting sessions will give you insight into what are the skills you need to practice more, and which ones you are getting good at.
With a busy life, it is easy to say, maybe tomorrow, or next week, or next month. I am sure you know exactly what I am talking about. To fight the temptation, I include in my calendar by the hour everything I want to accomplish, and I also have an app that is a goal tracker.
Finding time is not a difficult thing to do. In fact, you would agree that if you cut out most of the time, you spend at home looking at your phones, you will be able to fit a lot more than 15 minutes to practice in the morning and 15 minutes in the afternoon.
The power to change and improve is in your hands right now, simply because we are the masters of everything we do, and the results we get from our actions. My advice to you is to strive to be the best you can be, no matter how long it takes you to be there. Working on delivering quality during your training will not only benefit you, but also everyone around you. A great example is self-defense, because your life and the life of your loved ones deserve nothing else by greatness.
Gabby Franco was the first female shooter to represent Venezuela in the Olympics. As an accomplished author, speaker, competitive shooter, and instructor, she is recognized worldwide for her shooting skills and advocacy for the right to own and bear arms. Gabby’s 25 years of experience in Olympic, self-defense, and practical shooting have served as a platform to educate and empower thousands of people through live and virtual training across the United States and Puerto Rico. For over eighteen years, Gabby has shown her commitment to promoting the shooting sports by not only participating and winning medals in various competitions, but also sending a message of dedication, sportsmanship, and positive attitude.
In 2012 Gabby made her first public appearance as a contender in the History Channel’s show TOP SHOT (Season 4) where she became the only woman to ever progress to the final stage of the competition. Following her success from Season 4, Gabby was the single woman to participate in the “All-Star season” of TOP SHOT. In 2013, she published her first book titled Troubleshooting: Mastering Your Pistol Marksmanship, selling thousands of copies worldwide in both English and Spanish.
Gabby Franco represented Remington Outdoors Company from 2014 through 2017 as a competitive shooter in the disciplines of Limited (USPSA) and Tactical OPS (3-Gun), as well as special events at trade shows. Through the same period, Gabby became an NRA News commentator and the host of the NRA Women’s Network show Tips & Tactics.
Volunteering is important to Gabby. She has volunteered her time to train the wives of the Special Forces Community with the Special Forces Charitable Trust. Gabby has served as a coach for disabled veterans at the TOP SHOT Hero competitions hosted by Black Dagger Military Hunt Club. She has also trained several wounded veterans with the Epic Warriors Organization. Spoke to the Marines at the MCAS Yuma Range and taught a class about precision shooting. Gabby participated as an instructor at multiple A Girl & A Gun and The Well Armed Woman conferences. Gabby has donated portions of her revenue to sponsor Junior shooting teams such as Yuma Young Guns (Arizona) and Oakmont Vikings Trap Club (California). Also, after the 2017 Hurricane Harvey, Gabby worked as a volunteer at the Houston Emergency Aid Coalition and donated 100% percent of the proceedings of her seminar for the Hurricane relief fund.
Currently, Gabby is a Brand Ambassador for Liberty Safes and sponsored by Walther Arms, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) as a competitive shooter. She is also a member of the 2017-2018 NRA Sports Shooting and the NSSF Inclusion and Outreach committee.
The Women's Outdoor News, aka The WON, features news, reviews and stories about women who are shooting, hunting, fishing and actively engaging in outdoor adventure. This publication is for women, by women. View all posts by The WON
