Some 40 years ago (has it really been that long?), I found myself in a freshman economics class (EB201) at NCSU where I was introduced to the concept of “Utils”. Utils are an arbitrary way of measuring enjoyment. In class, we used utils to compare how much enjoyment was derived from having a salad vs a double cheeseburger for lunch among many other things!
I was thinking about this idea recently in terms of my own participation in sporting clays. In my first post on setting objectives (if you missed that one you can find it HERE), I mentioned a good starting point in your goal setting process is to really evaluate why you participate in your chosen sport. There are no right or wrong answers here! It is a highly individual thing. You might want to ask yourself this question now! Why do you play your sport? What brings you enjoyment (utils) from your participation? How does your purpose for participation guide your objectives and your approach to your game? While few of us actually derive an income from our sport, some of us may fall into the trap of treating our sport like a job which can lead to burnout (really low utils!).
In this post, I would like to relate a couple of examples where I really took a look at the utils I was getting from my participation and made adjustments accordingly! Your experiences may vary from mine!
Example 1 – To play or not to play!
A month or so ago, I had signed up for a shoot at a local range. As the date drew near, the forecast deteriorated to where it looked like shooting in Arctic conditions were on tap! I am not talking about a chill in the air, I am talking about really cold, blustery, miserable conditions!
I started questioning why I wanted to attend the event. Chasing “punches” is a strong motivator as it is what allows us sporting clays shooters to move up in rank. I really wanted the opportunity to compete for a punch or two! FOMO, “Fear Of Missing Out” is also a strong motivator! If I didn’t go, someone else would claim my punch! On the other hand, I weighed out the point of view that I shoot as recreation. It is a hobby that I pursue for enjoyment – not something I must do! looking at the utils, the “fun quotient” pointed to the fact that I might have more fun doing something else that particular day with my free time! In the end, I decided to spend that time catching up on some reading in front of the fireplace in my warm family room.
After hearing the tales from my shooting buddies regaling how cold it was, I was pacified that I had made the right decision for myself on that particular day!
Example 2 – The Sub-Gauge Dilemma
A couple of years ago, the board of the NSCA made the decision to change the classification system such that punches earned in sub-gauge events would no longer count in a shooter’s 12-gauge ranking. This resulted in making it more difficult to rank up through the classes. An unintended consequence was the killing-off of participation in sub-gauge events! Having spoken to two different range owners, they confirmed what we shooters were seeing – while they offered the opportunity for shooters to shoot sub-gauge events, very few (if any in many cases) were shooting sub-gauge and instead, were focusing on 12-gauge events.
The result was that many shooters, myself included, found their 20 gauge (or other sub-gauge guns) migrating to the back of the safe never to see the light of day!
In my lunch / interview with Brian DeMott (if you missed that post, check it out HERE), I had discussed this issue with Brian. His take on it was a little different. While I was basically complaining about the new situation – he took more of a “util evaluation” approach! When I told him I was disappointed with the new rules because I really enjoyed shooting my 20 gauge, he countered with the thought that if I really enjoyed shooting the 20, I should still do it! It was my choice.
It took me nearly a year to apply his logic, but I finally did so just this past week. When deciding which events to shoot at the East Coast Championship, I decided to include the 20-gauge event. Doing so meant that I was foregoing an opportunity to shoot a 12-gauge event that would give me an opportunity to improve my ranking. However, I had shot my 20-gauge gun only a single time in the last year (and not at all in competition). I really wanted to enjoy the experience shooting that beloved gun in competition again! Fortunately, fellow shooter and friend Doug Parsons agreed to join me.
We had a ball! Neither of us placed in our class, but we had a wonderful time shooting those wonderful guns. We also reminisced about the “good old days” when we used to tear up targets with those guns in competition! The fun-quotient was off the charts!
So, what do these two examples mean? First, that my primary reason for shooting clays competitions is to have fun! Sure, I want to get better every time I go out to the range and measure my performance by my ranking and number of punches earned, but the primary thing is to drive that util count up!
How about you? Why do you do what you do? No matter what your answer is, I hope it brings you many utils!
