"His hands can’t hit what his eyes can't see."

Imagine you're in a boxing ring. You're ready to throw a punch, but your opponent is so quick that you can barely keep track of him. Every time you swing, he's already moved, and your fists just cut through the air. That's pretty much what this quote is all about: you can't hit what you can't see.

At its core, the quote speaks to the idea of awareness and perception. If you can't see your target—literally or metaphorically—you're not going to hit it. This can apply to all sorts of situations in life, not just physical fighting. If you're not aware of an opportunity, you won't be able to take advantage of it. If you're not aware of a problem, you can't solve it. Simple, right?

This quote is often attributed to Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest boxers of all time. He was known for his incredible speed and agility, often dodging punches with such finesse that his opponents looked clumsy. Ali's point was straightforward: his opponents couldn’t hit him if they couldn’t see him coming. This gave him a huge advantage in the ring and is a perfect metaphor for life.

Think back to a time when you were in school and had a big exam coming up. Let's say you didn’t know that a certain chapter was going to be on the test. If you didn't study it, you were likely to miss those questions, no matter how smart you were. It wasn't about intelligence; it was about awareness. You simply couldn't answer what you didn't know to look for.

Now, let's talk about a real-life example to make this crystal clear. Picture a business owner named Sarah. She runs a small bakery, and business is good but not great. She’s been noticing that sales dip every afternoon. After a few weeks of head-scratching, she decides to spend an entire day just observing what happens in her store. She sees that around 3 PM, a lot of people come in asking for gluten-free options, which she doesn’t have. She hadn't seen this pattern before. Armed with this new knowledge, she decides to introduce a couple of gluten-free pastries. Within a month, her afternoon sales spike. Sarah couldn’t fix the problem until she saw it—until she became aware of what was happening.

So how can you apply this in your own life? First, be observant. Pay attention to the details you might usually overlook. If you’re working on a project, take a step back and look at it from different angles. Ask yourself what you might be missing. If you're in a leadership position, really listen to your team. Sometimes the things you’re not seeing—or not hearing—are what's holding you back.

Let’s say you’re planning a surprise party for a friend who’s notoriously hard to surprise. You notice they always seem to figure things out ahead of time. Instead of doing the usual, why not shake things up? Plan something so outside the box that they wouldn’t expect it. Maybe instead of a traditional party, you organize a scavenger hunt across the city, leading them to the surprise location. Because they didn't see it coming, it’s a hit.

So next time you’re struggling to land that metaphorical punch—whether it’s in business, school, or even in your personal life—take a step back and look around. What aren’t you seeing? Because once you spot it, you’re halfway to hitting your mark.