Are You Aiming at the Right Targets? How to Align Your Energy with What Matters Most

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 even more importantly, was I even aiming at the right target? (okay, maybe a 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?

Let’s break this down and explore how we can make sure we’re hitting the right targets in life, relationships, and personal growth.

The Dartboard of Life: What Are You Aiming At?

In darts, the highest-scoring section—the bullseye—requires precision and focus. The further away from the center, the fewer points you get. The same applies to life:

The bullseye represents your core relationships, values, and mission.
The inner rings represent meaningful but secondary areas of life, outskirt social circles, hobbies, etc.
The outer rings and off-the-board distractions represent wasted energy, time, and misplaced focus.

1. Who Is Closest to You? (Identifying Your Inner Circle)

If you think of your life as a dartboard, who's in your bullseye? These are the people and priorities that matter most—your closest relationships, mission, and values.

Family, best friends, trusted mentors
Clients who genuinely align with your mission
Your personal well-being (yes, self-care and development belongs in the bullseye because it impacts every arena of your life)

Are these areas truly getting your best energy, or are they getting your leftovers?

2. What’s the Map? (Defining Your Mission & Values)

Without a map, you’re just throwing darts blindly. Your “map” is made up of 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 to think: Does where you spend your energy align with this map?

3. Does Your Investment Match? (Evaluating Where Your Energy Goes)

This is where things get real. If you were to track 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 question: Are you pouring effort into the outer rings while neglecting the bullseye?

For example:

Giving your best energy to social media but neglecting face-to-face relationships.
Overworking for clients that drain you while barely engaging with the people who fill your cup.
Saying you value health and growth but never making time for rest or self-improvement.

If your map and investment don’t align, it’s time to adjust your aim.

Practical Application: Hitting the Right Targets

1. Define Your Bullseye

Who are the people and priorities that deserve your best energy?
Write them down. Get clear on where you want to invest.

2. Audit Your Energy Investment

For one week, track where your time, effort, and mental energy go.
Compare it to your bullseye—is there alignment or misalignment?

3. Shift Your Aim

If too much energy is going to the outer rings, intentionally redirect it.
Set clear boundaries for distractions and misaligned commitments.
Schedule non-negotiable time for the people and priorities that matter most.

Bonus Reflection: Are You Stuck in the Outer Rings?

If you're consistently feeling burned out, disconnected, or unfulfilled, ask yourself:

Where am I spending too much effort with little return?
What distractions or obligations are pulling me away from my bullseye?
What’s one small adjustment I can make this week to get closer to my true priorities?

Community Challenge: Align Your Aim

Think about your own dartboard. Who or what is in your bullseye?

Share in the Human Creative Community:

What’s one priority or relationship you want to invest more in this week?
What’s one distraction you’re letting go of?

Let’s keep each other accountable in aligning our lives with what truly matters.

The Key Takeaway

Life is too short to waste darts on the wrong targets. If your aim is off, adjust it.

Today’s thought:

Be intentional with your energy.
Invest in what matters most.
Align your actions with your values.

Because when you consistently hit your bullseye, you build a life of purpose, fulfillment, and meaningful success.❤️‍🔥🥊

Video Music by

Greg Murray

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