What is the Target?

Matt Emmons was focusing on staying calm. He should have been focusing on the right target.

Emmons competed for Team USA in the 2004 summer olympics in Athens, Greece. With his final shot and a commanding lead, he fired at the wrong target, a shocking mistake that cost the American Olympic 50-meter three-position rifle final and ruined his chance for a second gold medal.

Leading by three points and needing only to get near the bull’s-eye to win, Emmons fired at the target in lane three while shooting in lane two. When no score appeared, he gestured to officials that he thought there was some sort of error with his target.

“When I shot the shot, everything felt fine,” Emmons said. “On those targets, sometimes every once in a great while, it won’t register. The shot just doesn’t show up, so that’s what I thought happened.”

He was wrong. Officials huddled before announcing that Emmons had cross-fired — an extremely rare mistake in elite competition — and awarded him a score of zero. That dropped Emmons from a sure-fire Gold medal to eighth place.

EVERY FAMILY WILL END UP SOMEWHERE, FEW WILL END UP SOMEWHERE ON PURPOSE

Are you missing the target in your family? Your marriage? Relationships with your children? Life priorities? Ask Matthew Emmons, being off even a few feet will cost you the Gold.

Come discover which targets your should be taking aim upon. Attend our next live event, or order the Workshop@Home Study, and make sure you end up somewhere on purpose and on-target.