Jason, one of the things I have found so satisfying (frustrating) about trad shooting is the almost infinite number of times I "have it all figured out". Then I go out the next day to shoot "exactly the way I did yesterday" and somehow something is different. Presumably that is what blank bale is supposed to do - groove in the shot. The trouble I have found with that is that all it takes is one small thing (that I may not even be aware of while blank bale shooting) and it throws me off 6 inches at 20 yards. I seem to need the feedback of seeing where my arrow is going (missing?) to keep my form correct. When it is going well I don't even have to really focus on any part of it, but when it isn't, I focus on all parts and still have difficulty putting it all together. The thing I have done recently that seems to help the most is establishing a shot sequence (mental checklist) with each shot. I still do the blank bale and the formaster and everything else everyone talks about for back tension, etc., but some days it is still not as consistent as I would like. I have found it to be true that focus on a spot on the target is very important,too, but if my form is flawed I can focus on a spot until hell freezes over and I still won't hit it. Incidentally, I like your Frost quote, but I like to add a couple of words from Forrest Gump - "S#!t happens, life goes on".