Darts has to be one of the most basic games in human history.
There is a target. There is the projectile. Throw the dart at the target.
It wouldn’t be that farfetched to imagine the earliest humans playing some form of darts. Perhaps for practice in their ability to spear their dinners, but also for fun and competition. With each other…and with themselves.
Playing Darts Alone
Darts is something you can play alone. You can certainly play with others, but it doesn’t require another person for practice or even for an official game.
I like this aspect. It’s also a reason I enjoy golf and even the act of hitting golf balls. You can get lost in the process of doing it. You can work consciously on certain aspects of the process and you don’t need someone else there with you.
There are an incredible number of games you can play in darts. And you can practice them all on your own. You can practice by aiming for certain spots on the board. Over and over. Or you can work your way around the board. You can work in a seemingly random fashion.
You can also work on your form, without regard for the result of where the dart lands on the board. Just focusing on your form and trying to groove a toss or throw that leads to better play in the future.
I find that you can get lost in the is practice when you’re playing darts alone. If you struggle with the thoughts of the day, darts can be a great escape. A great release from the busy mind. It’s a great way to “get in the zone” and get your mind and body focusing on something very primal.
Who You Were Yesterday
One of the biggest struggles in life is the reality that you’re competing with others. In work. In personal life. In sports.
On the flip side is the reality that you can really only compete with the person you were yesterday. Darts can seemingly help with this practice.
You can measure your progress, or lack of, in a variety of ways. You can play games. You can track your score. You can do it based on the way you feel about your form.
I like tracking life based on who I was yesterday. Eventually, we all start to fade in our various abilities. But even when this begins to occur we can still track ourselves based on yesterday. We can also pick up new activities and become better at them.
Many people can begin playing darts, at any age. Someone that starts playing darts at 80 years old might not have the potential to be as good as they could have been at age 20, but they can certainly be better than they were the day before.
Final Thoughts
There are many activities that can provide a certain Zen to life. To get you into a new way of thinking. To get your mind and body working intuitively. To get lost in the moment, not thinking about the past or present.
For me, darts is one of those activities. You don’t need to do it. But if you’re looking for a way to add more Zen to your life, darts is a great option. It’s relatively inexpensive. It’s something you can do on your own. It can take a little time or a lot of time.
For generations, humans have thrown darts at targets. Why not embrace that history?