Today, I want to deep dive into a man who’s had a significant impact on my thinking over the years.
David Goggins.
Decorated US Navy SEAL, world record holder, motivational speaker, endurance athlete, and author.
I stumbled on Goggins back in 2017 when I was training for my 24-hour backwards run charity event, and he was the first person to really talk sense when it came to pushing past what’s possible for a human being to do.
I want to share five of his best quotes and unpack them so you can use them in your own life.
Let’s go...
#1 - “You Don’t Need Six Pack Abs If Your Mind Is Steel Plated”
Do you know why most people seek to achieve six-pack abs, especially as a man?
Confidence.
Achieving a six-pack can help boost your self-esteem, improve your confidence, and make you look healthy and successful.
(Actually being healthy and successful with a six-pack is debatable, but that’s for another post)
All of the above is really the effect that a six-pack has on your mind.
What I think Goggins is referring to when he says you don’t need it if your mind is steel plated is exactly this:
When your mind is steel plated, you get your confidence from your actions
When your mind is steel plated, you get your self-esteem from your habits and actions
When your mind is steel plated, you naturally become healthy and successful from your focused efforts in life
The six-pack is just a side effect of a strong mind.
The strong mind is the actual prize.
#2 - “99% of the Work Done Is Unseen”
One of my favourite quotes is “Float like a duck and paddle like fuck.”
This refers to when you see a duck effortlessly floating on the lake, looking calm and focused, when in actual fact it’s paddling its feet underneath to stay afloat.
If you want to achieve real success in this world, it’s what people don’t see that makes you a success.
People don’t see the early mornings and late evenings when you’re beating on your craft
People don’t see the books you read, your journal entries, and how you manage your stress
People don’t see the failures, fuck-ups, and mistakes it took to get where you are now
99% of the work is unseen.
Everyone wants to celebrate the finish line.
Nobody wants to watch you run the 26 miles before it.
#3 - “I’d Rather You Hate Me and Get Better Than Like Me and Stay the Same”
Something I get a lot of feedback about with my content is how “honest and real” it is.
A lot of the reason for this is the knowledge that when people hear what they want to hear in their lives, they carry on down the same path.
If you’re worried about hurting people’s feelings, they’re not going to change their habits and routines to live a better life.
If you’re brutally honest with them, they might hate you for saying something, but it might actually make them think about what they want from life and make a positive change.
One approach guarantees more people like you, but they all stay the same.
The other approach might make people hate you, but you’ll get some of them to change.
I’d rather change a few lives and piss off the rest than be liked by everyone while helping no one.
#4 - “Performance Without Purpose”
My morning routine is pretty intense.
Before 8am, I’ve stretched, cold plunged, read a chapter of a book, journalled, and hit a gym session.
If I were training for the Olympics or for a championship belt, people wouldn’t bat an eye because I have a reason for putting so much work into my physical self.
The reality?
I’m not training for anything.
Just life.
Here’s the thing:
When you can perform at an elite level without a specific purpose, the world becomes much easier to navigate.
You can deal with curveballs better.
You have a relentless amount of energy to put into family life and work.
And you look pretty damn good, too.
It’s a great quote.
Not easy to achieve - it’s taken me over a decade to finally hit home - but when it does, it’s a game changer.
#5 - “Who’s Gonna Carry the Boats?”
In Navy SEAL training, candidates are assigned to boat crews, and wherever they go, they have to carry a 200-pound inflatable boat with them.
As the hours pass by, the boat becomes heavier from people dropping out and quitting.
What Goggins used to shout to his boat crew was:
“Who’s going to carry the boats?”
This would motivate the remaining crew members to stay in the fight and keep pushing forward.
Back in the Army, we had a thing called “Leader’s Legs.”
What it meant was the mental and physical strength to push through your own self-pity and exhaustion so you can motivate those around you to achieve the task at hand.
Here’s what happens when you take it upon yourself to lead:
It gives you energy.
Energy to push through tough times.
Energy to help others push through those tough times, too.
And the increased ability to successfully complete the thing you’re aiming for.
The next time you’re struggling in some way, ask yourself - or even shout it out:
“Who’s going to carry the boats?”
Take the burden on your shoulders.
If you motivate others around you to push through, it will help you push through, too.
David Goggins isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
He’s extreme. He’s intense. He’s unrelenting.
But the principles behind what he teaches are universal:
Stop doing this:
Seeking external validation (like six-pack abs) for confidence
Showing off the 1% while neglecting the 99% that matters
Telling people what they want to hear to be liked
Only performing when you have a specific goal
Waiting for someone else to lead
Start doing this:
Build a steel-plated mind through consistent action
Do the unseen work that nobody applauds
Be brutally honest, even if people hate you for it
Perform at an elite level every day without needing a reason
Step up and carry the boats when everyone else is quitting
You don’t need to be a Navy SEAL to apply these principles.
You just need to stop making excuses and start doing the hard work that nobody sees.