Last weekend, I was with a group of friends doing a wood-chopping work day. Several of the people there had never used an ax, so a few of us were teaching them how to do it.

I, in a pedestrian way, was teaching people how to hold the ax, where to plant their feet, how to let your upper hand slide down the handle as the ax approaches the wood to get the most accuracy and force, and where you want to hit the wood based on the existing cracks and flow of the grain.

Greg, in his typical Zen way, told people “Aim for the bottom of the log.”

I’ve been pondering this ever since. Visualize the outcome you want. Focus on where you want to be, not where you are. See your goal already accomplished.

Learning and applying skills is important. The right approach can make the path easier or more difficult. But, ultimately, it doesn’t matter if you aren’t aiming where you are trying to end up.

Aim for the bottom of the log.