Love this wake up call of a book. It's even exhausting to read. I think it fair to say that the military and physical stories in here are more black and white than the world the majority of us live in. They are somewhat less dependent on the actions of others. He certainly confronted the doubts of others, but completing SEAL training and ultra-marathons is very clearly a result of the efforts of this individual. In our own daily lives, our most scary challenges and ambitions may be more dependent on the actions of others, whether that's creating a business, running a company or representing our voters.
So, it's not always so obvious what is in our control and where we should focus our targets and hold ourselves more accountable to achieving them. But the challenges and lessons in this book can absolutely help us achieve those objectives, if we can embrace the hard work and dedication required to make it happen. And we also need to be good with the value of our own hard work and dedication, even if that ends in failure.
“… I’m not down with the prevailing mentalities that tend to dominate American society these days; the ones that tell us to go with the flow or invite us to learn how to get more with less effort. Fuck that shortcut bullshit. …it’s only when I push beyond pain and suffering, past my perceived limitations, that I’m capable of accomplishing more" (p.210 Governor)
“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… 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. My work ethic is the single most important factor in all my accomplishments.” (p.249 Scheduling)
“Too
many of us have become multitaskers, and that’s created a nation of half-asses…
When you work, only work on one thing at a time, think about the task in front
of you and pursue it relentlessly… when it’s time to rest, actually rest. No
checking email or bullshitting on social media.” (
“A lot
of us surround ourselves with people who speak to our desire for comfort. Who
would rather treat the pain of our wounds and prevent further injury than help
us callous over them and try again. We need to surround ourselves with people
who will tell us what we need to hear, not what we want to hear, but at the
same time not make us feel we’re up against the impossible.” (
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