Again, as I said in the last post, a disclaimer right up front – I have never been a Navy SEAL or participated in any of their rigorous training. Having said that, I have tremendous respect for these warriors. In our last post, we were looking at how NAVY Seals are trained to deal with unexpected obstacles. Today, we will look at another technique that they learn which is helpful for any leader, including priests.
In an excellent article on Inc.com https://www.inc.com/four-navy-seal-tactics-to-think-clearly-in-a-crisis.html, I found one of the best descriptions of this technique. Rather than rewrite it, I have copied it here but acknowledge where it was originally written.
“Front-sight focus is a fundamental shooting tactic perfected in SEAL training. If a marksman focuses on the target, the front sight of the weapon will be out of focus. If you focus on the front sight, the target will still be visible in the distance. Divine says front-sight focus is a metaphor for focusing on your most crucial goals that are aligned to the target–your vision and mission. A radical focus means you should tackle your most urgent goal that needs to be accomplished today or this week. Your long-term target is further ahead, but today you do what you can control.” (bold added for emphasis).
A similar way to think of this, and perhaps one that is more familiar to most of us, is driving. While driving on a highway, your immediate focus is on what is right in front of you as that requires a high level of awareness. Having said that, you must also be aware of what is happening several cars ahead as well as in adjacent lanes.
The important point here is that while we should always be aware of, and striving for, our long-term goals, it is critical that we stay focused on the shorter-term goals that will move us in the direction of our intended target. As an example, suppose you are interested in establishing a new ministry. It is relatively easy to visualize the ministry up and running achieving what you intended it to do.
It can be quite frustrating, however, as delays or unexpected issues come up. In dealing with that, refer to our last post (acknowledge, accept, adapt and act). On the other hand, if you can establish short-term, interim steps that need to be accomplished as you journey toward the ultimate goal it can offer several benefits.
First, it allows for “course correction”. Think of a guided missile that needs to keep adjusting as conditions require its course to be altered. Those smaller steps and corrections provide the focus needed to keep moving in the overall right direction.
It also allows for “mini-celebrations” as interim steps are accomplished. We tend not to be good at this, waiting for completion before we acknowledge the effort. Celebrating consistent progress can prove to be motivating and will improve team morale.
In summary, remembering the term “front-sight focus” will help you employ this valuable skill and lead to overall greater accomplishment of successfully achieving your vision for your parish.