“Do you want to be average or do you want to excel,” my instructor friend asked a student at a recent tactical firearms class. During the first day of the course the young man said that he had shooting experience and that he had always shot a handgun in a certain way. Being an experienced teacher, my friend recognized that the young man was like many he had encountered before, safe and competent but not necessarily talented.

The young man in question arrived at the school with the feeling that he was “pretty good” and could shoot “okay” (hence the instructor’s question). The student considered the question for a moment and gave it thought. “I want to excel,” he said. “Good,” my friend replied. “Now let me show you how to do just that.”