My name is Darryl Baker.
My journey with mental training began over 25 years ago when I was introduced to Lanny Bassham’s book With Winning in Mind. Although, in all honesty, it took me about 15 years to truly buy into the potential of mental training.
Over the past 10 years, not only have I come to genuinely acknowledge and understand the importance of mental discipline, but to implement and realize its potential for myself.
Cultivating my mental skills has had a tremendous impact on many aspects of my life; most notably in shooting sports, business, but also my daily life.
Archery has been a part of my life for over 45 years, and I’ve shot competitively for 20. I continue to take part in clay shooting, pistol instruction, and long-range precision rifle shooting.
Buying into the mental game late in my competitive archery years enabled me to perform at my highest level. Once I understood the advantage of mental control and discipline, my performance rapidly improved.
This discipline also contributed to my success in rifle and pistol shooting, leading to me becoming a law enforcement pistol instructor.
While pursuing these shooting sports, I also worked to build a thriving business. In November of 2022, after 20 years, I sold my successful plumbing contracting business.
I credit much of this success to the emphasis I placed on helping my employees to become the best they could be, at work and in life. Helping my employees cultivate focus, drive, and passion allowed the company and its people to excel. The mental advantage was, without a doubt, a competitive edge.
Then there is my family – a clear example of mental strength. My wife has been highly successful in a Fortune 500 company for over 25 years. My oldest daughter began dancing ballet at 3 years old and became a professional ballet dancer at 18. She retired from professional dance at 23 years old and is now pursuing her PhD at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
My youngest daughter began gymnastics at 3 years old, and advanced to USAG level 10 by the time she was a senior in high school. She is currently pursuing her degree at the University of Florida with aspirations of becoming a dentist. The women in my life have the mental advantage necessary to succeed.
