Hunting for Life’s Greatest Lessons

By: Win Reynolds

Growing up one of six kids in rural Utah, I never gave a lot of thought to why I enjoyed hunting so much. Some of the reasons were obvious. Hunting always meant spending at least one week each year in the mountains with my family. It has never been about killing animals. Instead, it has always provided a yearly opportunity to participate in family bonding. Hunting has also taught me some great lessons about life.

You Need a Plan
For starters, in order to achieve anything while hunting, you have to have a plan. If you show up in the woods dressed in your best camouflage gear but you lack a plan, you will probably not succeed. In order to be successful on a hunt, you have to understand how to navigate the mountains or woods. You have to know what gear you need. You have to know what time of day the animal you are hunting is most likely to be moving. You have to know the laws. Basically, you have to know a whole lot about a lot of things. Without a plan, you are asking for trouble.

The same can be said for life. For years I worked for someone else. I always thought the owner of the company I worked for had it made. In my mind the owner was someone sitting high up on a hill. I wanted to be on top of my own hill. I was tired of working hard and always staying at the bottom. So one day I decided to start my own demolition company, but I didn’t create a business plan. I didn’t plan out marketing strategies. I didn’t count on a number of other factors that affect small business owners. For a while, I thought I was sitting high on my hill. My lack of planning, however, quickly toppled me back down to the bottom.

My brother, Dr. Tim, often quotes one of his mentors. Michael Masterson teaches the “Ready, Fire, Aim” philosophy for starting a business. His philosophy basically says, when you’re ready to start a business, start it. Then you can later aim the business in the best direction. The philosophy is a great one, and it has made Masterson a multi-millionaire. But part of the philosophy includes having a plan. And since my business lacked a plan, it was impossible to aim it in any direction once I’d started firing in too many wrong directions.

I now have a plan in place, and my business is growing and successful.

You Need Your Health
Unless you’re someone who solely hunts from a stand located just yards from where you park your vehicle, physical fitness is a requirement for hunting. I love hunting in the mountains. Part of what I love the most is the hike. Sometimes I will go hunting with friends who are overweight and out of shape. There have been times I have left friends behind to sit on rocks, as they made up excuses on why they just couldn’t finish the hike.

You only get one shot at life, and I encourage you to spend your time on this earth as healthy as possible. No one really enjoys being overweight. If you fall into that category, remember only you have the power to change your situation. Most people opt to take the “easy way out”, and just do nothing about their situation. My brother encouraged me to create a health plan for my family years ago. Part of our health plan includes staying physically fit and eating right. I have to admit, this pays off when I go hunting. But it also pays off daily in all areas of my life.

You Should Never Stop Learning
Recently I went on a pheasant hunt with a group of my friends. Growing up with Dr. Tim as my big brother, I learned it is important to never stop developing my character and my mind. One of the things he recommended I do was listen to CDs that motivated me to do and become more than I already am. On this pheasant hunt I brought along a copy of Jim Rohn’s CDs to share with the guys. Most of my friends were less than impressed when I mentioned listening to CDs. Several even laughed at me and mumbled, “We don’t want to fall asleep Win.”

I fear for people who do not want knowledge. When you’re on a hunt with people of that mentality, it makes you stop and wonder how much they really know about the firearms they are carrying with them. Did they even read the owner’s manual or handling care instructions?

While I may use my hunting time to get away from the office, I do not waste the time completely. During the moments that I am alone, I contemplate on how my company is doing and how I can improve relations with my employees. I think about how I can build better relationships with my friends and family members, and I listen to CDs that help me improve. I do all of this even if those hunting with me are less than impressed.

I understand not everyone will always agree with me. You may not like the fact that I hunt because you think it is barbaric. I respect your beliefs too, but I hope you will still take away some of the lessons hunting has taught me about life.

[Ed. Note: Win Reynolds is the owner of Breaker Contracting. He currently lives in Herriman, Utah and is one of Dr. Tim’s six siblings. You can reach him by leaving a comment on this blog.]