LAST POST before you take over my programming through the end of next week… so let’s talk about TARGET PANIC! Have you ever opened a project plan, stared at the end goal, and suddenly felt like you need a PhD in “how, exactly” before you can take the first step? My husband is an archer, and he told me there’s a name for that freeze: TARGET PANIC. It’s the moment you can see the bullseye perfectly… but your brain doesn’t’ understand the engineering of the shot so it can’t release (short circuits.)
He described it and I thought, “Oh. So that’s what’s been happening to me between meetings.”
Because lately, I volunteered for a role that’s… ambitious. For two years, I had an external lane I loved: designing and delivering education with partners for our members. I still have that, AND now I’m also half of a brand-new HR team, responsible for organizational effectiveness. I’m pulling from my internal L&D/talent development and project management background. Its… a lot.
AND yes, I have the experience. AND yes, I’m capable and motivated. I chose this. AND still, some days, the volume piles up. Deadlines get loud, and my brain tries to renegotiate the deal like, “What if we simply don’t?”
And then I step back and remember, I’m not alone.
I observe the same behaviors in my external coaching practice all the time. Because target panic shows up most when someone is new to the mechanics, not necessarily new to the skill. They know what “good” looks like. They just can’t yet see how to get there without treating every first attempt like it has to be a final draft. And the fix is not “prepare harder,” it’s prepare smarter. TARGET PANIC eases when you do three things:
1. Reduce the shot. Don’t aim for “nailed it.” Aim for the next clean release.
2. Get just enough structure. A plan that guides action, not an 85-line project plan you hide behind.
3. Borrow confidence. From proof: past wins, fast feedback, and the right people.
This is where my SNAK check helps:
SKILLS: What’s the ONE capability I need next (not everything)?
NETWORK: Who can sanity-check my approach in 10 minutes?
ACTIVITIES: What’s the smallest real step that creates traction today?
KNOWLEDGE: What’s one missing fact that would cut my uncertainty in half?
That’s the work version of stepping up to the line, breathing, and taking the shot you can take now.
Your turn: Where are you feeling target panic right now and what’s the smallest “release” you can make this week to get moving again?
