In this book you will learn:
- How to callous your mind.
- Not settle for mediocrity.
- Get off your butt and stop being lazy.
- How to stop complaining and making excuses.
- Use your past success to drive your future.
- Pursue your full capability and potential.
- Go from a soft sissy to a hard dude.
A few years ago, I first learned about David Goggins from Joe Rogan’s podcast, an absolutely amazing episode – JRE #1080 – David Goggins. He soon thereafter returned in JRE episode #1212.
Goggins, a former Navy SEAL turned ultramarathon runner, is a complete savage and often referred to as “the baddest man on the planet.”
Goggins has been through a lot in his life – rough childhood, 100lbs overweight, transformation to Navy SEAL, heart surgery, running the MOAB 240 mile race, becoming a wildfire firefighter, and setting the pullup record for most in 24 hours (4030).
Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy The Odds by David Goggins (Amazon)
In 2018, Goggins released a bestselling book, Can’t Hurt Me, one that Rogan has raved about many times as one of his all-time favorites. Rogan’s praise for the book is printed on the back of the book:
“I firmly believe people like him can change the course of the world just by inspiring us to push harder and dig deeper in everything we do. His goal to be ‘uncommon amongst uncommon people’ is something we can all use to propel ourselves to fulfill our true potential. I’m a better man having met him.”
– Joe Rogan about David Goggins
Embarrassingly, I admit that I put Goggins’s book on my list of books to read, but waited for a few years because of FEAR – I wasn’t ready for it yet.
But a few years later, I finally picked up and read the book. And honestly, this was the perfect book for me at this point in my life.
I’ve done a lot of cool things and worked hard the last 5 years, but had started settle with that and had stopped pushing new boundaries. Here is what I had accomplished the last five years:
- Graduated college with IT degree
- Switched careers to be a full-time tennis coach
- Reached year and a half sobriety from alcohol
- Launched my own website and wrote e-books for Amazon
- Work 70 hours per week, in addition to exercise
But…I had plateaued. I had started skimping on basic routines, lacking new ambition, and was seeking comfort.
In this book, the message is not one you haven’t heard before, but it’s Goggins unique story, his manner of delivery, and the challenges he asks you to do. He walks the walk.
The fact that he doesn’t sugar coat anything is what broke through for me. I had been getting soft, not reaching my full potential, and needed a swift kicking in the ass by someone like Goggins – and he delivered.
Also see: 8 Navy SEALs on Joe Rogan’s Podcast
I Teared Up Twice
I do not cry easily and hardly ever tear up. It’s been years since I’ve teared up, but I did twice in this book. (Not full-on crying, but eyes starting watering).
*First time – The first chapter “I Should Have Been A Statistic”, Goggins details his horrific childhood, mainly caused by his child-abusing father, and his experience with racism.
His biological father, Trunnis, basically beat the living hell out of him, his brother, and his mother, even pulling out guns to threaten them with.
Also see: Trunnis Goggins Sr: The Odd Impact of David Goggins’s Dad
*Second time – After his mother separated David and herself from his biological father, she began dating a man named Wilmoth who was a great guy. He offered David hope, stability, and mentorship, which was much needed after the trauma he had just escaped.
Tragically, Wilmoth was shot and killed at his own house, just when 14-year old David’s life was starting to get better.
The book does a great job detailing these events and pulling you in from the beginning.
Accountability Mirror
One of the turning points for Goggins was looking in the mirror and seeing a 100-pound overweight dude that was a fat slob – himself.
It was a significant fork in the road for him that could have gone either way, to potentially someone that we never would have heard of, just a guy living in mediocrity.
This event gave birth to “The Accountability Mirror”, a mirror with sticky notes that highlight your shortcomings and the things you will no longer tolerate from yourself. He encourages you to pull no punches and to tell things as they really are.
One of the challenges that Goggins gives you in the book is to create your own accountability mirror.
Here is a pic of mine and the things I put on there.
- Exercising less frequently
- Eating like crap
- Living dirty/unorganized
- Not brushing my teeth at night
- Wasting time: Netflix, phone games
- Addiction to energy drinks
- Complaining about not having enough time
- Vaping
- Meeting minimum standards at work.
- Lack of physical flexibility and stretching
Taking Souls
One of my favorite chapters is “Taking Souls.” Goggins explains how to take someone’s soul, giving examples from his Navy SEAL BUD/S training.
The goal of taking someone’s soul, is to destroy the competition, breaking them right before their very eyes using your determination, grit, discipline, preparation, and lack of excuse making and complaining.
Also see: The David Goggins Diet: Eating For High Performance
In BUD/S training, a very small percentage make it all the way through, falling off for various reasons like sleep deprivation, too cold, blisters/injuries, and exhaustion. Goggins used those obstacles to show no weaknesses, taking the souls of his competitors and even the SEAL instructors.
Goggins wants you to go through whatever challenges you face without complaining and showing no weakness in the face of competition. And never, ever buy into other peoples complaining or self-pity – it’s a disease!
It’s a very satisfying feeling when you have taken someone else’s soul in the heat of battle, and while they are quitting, they look at you and see an unstoppable machine that keeps getting stronger.
Also see Goggins’s second New York Times Best-selling book:
Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within by David Goggins (Amazon)
It’s Not About A Trophy
My absolute favorite chapter was “It’s Not About A Trophy,” which is about why you push hard when there is nobody’s soul to take and no trophy at stake.
Goggins says that most of us can get a little juice when we compete against others, using that to give us the adrenaline we need during a race. But what do you do when there is no external competition?
This related the most to where I am currently at. Here are my comfort seeking thoughts before I read this chapter:
- Why grind and suffer so much?
- Why expose myself to torture and pain?
- My life is good, why not just seek comfort?
- Why get up early at 4am when I can sleep until 5:30?
But the big eye opener for me, is that long-term discipline and determination has to come from within, by competing against ourselves.
We are at war with ourselves, our mind, constantly trying to beat the person we were yesterday.
My “why” is to not settle for anything less than my potential, being in constant pursuit of the best version of myself, kicking mediocrity’s ass, and trying to beat the man I was yesterday, last week, and last year – the man in the accountability mirror. There are no trophies for that.
Also see: Will Goggins and Jocko Ever Do a Podcast Together?
Cookie Jar
Another challenge Goggins asks you to do is create a mental cookie jar filled with obstacles you have conquered in your past.
These milestones that you have overcome, are things you can and should reach back on when you are callousing your mind through new challenges.
Examples of things in my cookie jar:
- Hit that little league walkoff triple in the bottom of the 9th inning.
- Beat the #1 player in the state in tennis my sophomore year in high school.
- Made 33 straight A’s in college classes Sophomore – Senior years.
- Won the speech contest for my school in 7th grade.
- Got out of $11,600 dollars of debt in 1 year.
The #1 Excuse Goggins Hears All The Time
The #1 excuse Goggins hears from the 1000’s of people he talks to is – NOT ENOUGH TIME.
How does Goggins make more time? By reworking his schedule and finding the gaps where time is lost. 5 minutes here and 20 minutes there, Goggins values every second, every minute. And he thinks people are dying of overstimulation of social media and multitasking on our phones.
One example of Goggins taking advantage of time is when he arrived early as a guest for the JRE podcast. When Rogan pulled up in the parking lot, Goggins was doing pullups and pushups outside the studio while he was waiting on Rogan to show up.
He does mention sleeping less in the book. I tried this while reading it, going off 4 hours of sleep and then grinding out a long day.
Sleeping less was a cool experiment, and it was nice to see that I could push through and do it if needed. But, I find myself functioning significantly better off 7 hours of sleep, so that’s what I’m going back to.
Goggins Website, Apparel, and Instagram
Not everyone can be David Goggins, certainly not me. But, the man is a beast and someone definitely worth looking up to.
His book, Can’t Hurt Me, is an incredible read and along with Joe Rogan, I highly recommend.
If you had told me I would get a 10% boost in productivity from this book, I would have been happy with that. But I’m getting closer to 50% boost. It was a swift kicking in the ass from the “baddest man on the planet,” and an escape from mediocrity, which I needed badly.
Check out his website where he offers other merch and apparel featuring some of his slogans like “Taking Souls,” and “You Don’t Know Me Son.”
Also, check out his Instagram which is filled with awesome motivational videos.
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