I am on my third reading of David Goggins’s book, Can’t Hurt Me. He talks a lot about pushing yourself past what you think you can handle because there is always more fight left in you than what you think. Goggins encourages readers to reach for a new 100% everyday, to push through the bullshit, the pain, the frustration, the boredom to find a better you.
“In the military we always say we don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training,”
– David Goggins, Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds
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I have always been a grinder. I am pretty average by most measures, but my greatest strengths are my resiliency and my work ethic. I have gone through tougher times than some, not as tough as others, but I realize that the person I am in the moment is the summation of what I have done in the past to prepare for this moment.
“It’s a lot more than mind over matter. It takes relentless self discipline to schedule suffering into your day, every day.”
― David Goggins, Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds
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This attitude, similar to Goggins philosophy has helped me reach most of my goals. I have certainly had times where that did not seem likely. I remember telling people I wanted to be a teacher and they would scoff at me because of various reasons. The critics and haters have always been there, quietly waiting for me to fall of the rails. Nothing feels better than proving them wrong.
“Our culture has become hooked on the quick-fix, the life hack, efficiency. Everyone is on the hunt for that simple action algorithm that nets maximum profit with the least amount of effort. There’s no denying this attitude may get you some of the trappings of success, if you’re lucky, but it will not lead to a calloused mind or self-mastery. If you want to master the mind and remove your governor, you’ll have to become addicted to hard work. Because passion and obsession, even talent, are only useful tools if you have the work ethic to back them up.”
― David Goggins, Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds
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My impossible task right now is to run a 5K. Running has been tough for me the last few years and it seems I am out of breath pretty quickly. I can do ellipticals and treadmills, but actually running hills and whatnot kicks my ass. To make matters more difficult, I have acute plantar fasciitis that flares up when I run like no other. I can push through the pain in the moment, but may end up limping the next day. I feel like I need to overcome this just because I am sick of it getting the better of me. I am going to post the hashtag The Impossible Task here because it is one of Goggins techniques, to do something you think you can’t do, #theimpossibletask.
“The Buddha famously said that life is suffering. I’m not a Buddhist, but I know what he meant and so do you. To exist in this world, we must contend with humiliation, broken dreams, sadness, and loss.”
― David Goggins, Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds
What is your impossible task? What is holding you back from doing it? How would your life change if you could do this?
“Pain unlocks a secret doorway in the mind, one that leads to both peak performance, and beautiful silence.”
― David Goggins, Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds
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- (no title)
- Courage Under Fire
- Exploring the Nostalgia of Time Capsules
- Relationships That Matter
- My Modern Sports Team Would Be the Knights of Ni
What are your thoughts on this?