Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

Introduction

David Goggins is a retired Navy SEAL, ultramarathon runner, public speaker, and an author. David Goggins is the only member of the U.S. Armed Forces to complete Navy SEAL training, the U.S. Army Ranger School, and Air Force tactical air controller training. Having completed multiple ultra-marathons, triathlons, ultra-triathlons, and more, he is considered to be one the hardest people on the planet. He has self-published two books with titles “Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind” (2018) and “Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind” (2022). In these books, Goggins tells his life-story and explains how he transformed himself from a depressed, overweight young man with no future into a U.S. Armed Forces icon and one of the world’s top endurance athletes. In these books, he teaches the reader how to become a better version of yourself through mental toughness and self-discipline. In this essay I will be covering the lessons I’ve learned from David Goggins and explaining his life philosophies. David Goggins is an extreme example of a human being, but I feel that everyone could benefit from adopting some of his philosophies that made him the person he is today.

The 40% rule

The 40% rule is a concept that’s been popularized by Goggins and the idea boils down to the mentality that whenever you think you’ve reached your maximum capacity or limit, you are in fact only at about 40% of your true potential. David Goggins believes that by tapping into your physical and mental reserves, you can achieve much more than you think. The 40% rule functions not just in physical challenges, but also in every other aspect of life where you are facing challenges. The challenge is that to harness your true potential, it requires you to push through discomfort and go past what you think is possible. The human mind is designed to tell you to stop whenever you start to get uncomfortable, but according to Goggins, to develop as a human being, it’s important to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. The 40% rule is not meant to encourage reckless behavior or to ignore limitations. The 40% rule is meant for people to understand their true potential and to little by little push their limits to become better and stronger individuals.

“Doubling down on your weaknesses”

“Doubling down on your weaknesses” is a concept that David Goggins often talks about. The idea behind this concept is that we should focus on improving our weaknesses rather than just relying on our strengths. According to Goggins, many people focus on their strengths and ignore their weaknesses, but this can hold them back from achieving their true potential. By doubling down on our weaknesses, we can become more well-rounded individuals and achieve greater success in life. David Goggins for example was a strong runner and had great endurance, but he was terrified of the water. He hated being in water but rather than ignoring his weakness, he faced the problem head on and made a commitment to improve his swimming skills in order to fulfill his dream and eventually become a Navy SEAL. The concept of doubling down on your weaknesses can be applied to many different areas of life, whether it’s physical fitness, career development, or personal growth. By identifying our weaknesses and working to improve them, we can become stronger and more resilient individuals, and achieve greater success in all areas of our lives.

Mission statement

A mission statement by definition is a brief statement that articulates the purpose, values, and goals of an individual, organization, or company. A mission statement serves as a guide for decision making and it helps to define the direction and focus of the entity. Every company has a mission statement on what they want to be and what they would like to achieve. David Goggins encourages you to make a mission statement for yourself, that you use to pursue your goals day in and day out. When you create a mission statement for yourself and answer the question “What do I want to be in life?”, it can have an extremely powerful effect on your mentality. David Goggins’ mission statement is “to become the hardest man alive.” This mission statement reflects his relentless pursuit of self-improvement and his desire to push beyond his perceived limits. Goggins’ mission statement is not just about achieving personal success, but also about inspiring others to push beyond their own limits. He believes that by sharing his own experiences and encouraging others to embrace the “suck” of hard work and discomfort, he can help others achieve their own goals and become the best versions of themselves.

“1-second rule”

The “1-second rule” is a concept that David Goggins talks about in his books. In a way it’s related to the previously mentioned mission statement. The 1-second rule refers to an idea that when we face challenging or daunting situations, we should decide withing 1 second of encountering it. Many people hesitate or procrastinate when faced with a difficult situation, which can lead to missed opportunities and a failure to act. Usually, we meet these types of situations when we have a task that would take ourselves outside of our comfort zone. For example, you might have decided to go for a walk, but just as you are about to leave, it starts raining. Now you are faced with a 1-second decision whether you decide to get comfortable and stay inside or hold yourself accountable and do it anyway. The 1-second rule is based on the idea that our instincts and intuition guide us in making quick decisions. By training ourselves to make quick decisions, we can develop greater mental toughness and resilience, and become more effective at overcoming challenges. The 1-second rule can be applied to many different areas of life, whether it’s facing a difficult conversation, making a career decision, or pushing through a tough workout. By making quick decisions and taking action, we can overcome our fears and limitations, and achieve our goals.

Conclusion

Listening to David Goggins has taught me that the mind plays a massive role in our self-development. We are responsible for the barriers and obstacles we set for ourselves and it’s also our responsibility to break them down. In order to see growth, we need to be willing to go outside of our comfort zone and embrace the fact that we are not the best at everything. I believe that it’s important to know your strengths but it’s even more important to embrace your weaknesses and develop those skills and attributes to become a stronger individual. From the 40% rule and listening to how David Goggins morphed himself into this monster of a human being, I see that every person has a potential to be something spectacular. David Goggins is not some unique human being that had all the right cards dealt to him, but exactly the opposite. The real question is who is willing to push through the hardships to see the outcome. Who is willing to make those 1-second decisions and stick to the mission statement that you set up for yourself. The human mind can be the strongest or the weakest tool in your toolbox, and it’s up to you to decide which one it’s going to be.

References

Goggins, D. (2020) Can’t hurt me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds. Austin, TX: Lioncrest Publishing.

Goggins, D. (2022), Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within. Austin, TX: Lioncrest Publishing.