Cant Hurt Me – David Goggins – Book Summary
“It won’t always go your way, so you can’t get trapped in this idea that just because you’ve imagined a possibility for yourself that you somehow deserve it. Your entitled mind is dead weight. Cut it loose. Don’t focus on what you think you deserve. Take aim on what you are willing to earn!”
David Goggins
Who is this book for?
You looking for some inspiration to getting your life on track? You think you have a terrible life and that you can’t achieve? Do you need a right kick in the ass to get yourself into some action. Well this book is for you. It is honestly the most inspiring book I have read to date. Maybe Davids style resonates with me as a person but his true-life story from growing up in an abusive household to becoming one of the fittest men in the world is an absolute jaw dropping read.
Consider yourself in the victim mindset? This book will well and truly make you rethink about how tough your life really is. This book is full of different exercises which helps you understand how to get into the Goggins mindset. This dude is crazy enthused and every chapter you read is either wowing you with the horrors of horrid start to life to amazing feats of determination.
David Goggins may well be the world’s most determined man. While your goals may not be to become a Navy Seal, or break a fitness world record, David’s accounts of his achievement delves deep into the mindset required to achieve goals both small and big. You want a virtual mentor to get you through those tough times of a battle you are going through. Step into the mind of David Goggins and be prepared to be buzzed with outright enthusiasm to change your life.
The below mindset hacks are the best bits from the book which will give you an idea about how this book will help you achieve your desired mindset.
“Denial is the ultimate comfort zone.”
David Goggins
Mindset Hack 1 – Break Things Down Into Small Pieces
When David talks about his ultra marathon adventures he speaks of the milestones and knowing where he is at every part of the race. Every step he takes is another achievement, every mile is another hurdle passed. When you breakdown massive tasks into smaller pieces, mammoth tasks become easier to digest. This allows the mind to see that no task or obstacle is insurmountable . Every little action is much more easily achievable.
This methodology is also the best way to learn things. Breaking them down into smaller chunks. Learning parts in smaller pieces allows the brain to learn better and then putting a whole puzzle together of learned smaller pieces. Like this pushing through large tasks in smaller chunks allows the brain to process the idea of completing smaller steps rather than seeing the one large one.
For example in my case 100,000 steps per week. Is just 14,700 steps a day or 3 sessions of 5,000 steps. The smaller you break it down the easier the achievement seems. I used this same process when I was completing my jump rope challenge. Initially 500 jumps and adding a further 250 jumps every 7 days until by the end 1,500 was achievable by day 29. Each jumping session became easier, where initially doing 25-50 jumps was hard. Now 150-200 jumps in a row is easy. Constant practice of the chunks makes the bigger goal much easier.
“I broke this thing down into small pieces. I said I got to get nutrition; I got to be able to stand up before I can go through the 30 miles […] I taped up my ankles and then my feet, and that’s how I got through the race.”
David Goggins
Mindset Hack 2 – The Cookie Jar
Unfortunately for you cookie fans this is not a literal cookies jar but a metaphoric one. While many turn to snacking in times of pain this cookies jar is one that contains all the setbacks you have overcome in life. In David’s case he had many setbacks. He had to complete hell week three times and remembers the pain he went through and survived the experience. So if he was facing an obstacle he would reach into this memory cookie jar and realise that nothing could compare to this.
Create your own cookie jar of experiences of your life. Mine for example was when I was twenty five years old I had ballooned out to my heaviest weight of 137 kilograms. I was able to in a span of 6 months drop 50 kilograms and get myself to a happy and healthy weight. It took hard work but I got there. I use that memory every time I think about my current challenge. While older and slightly more difficult, I had done it before so it was achievable.
So start creating your own cookie jar of experiences and rather than using them as things to brag about use them as fuel to advance your next goal. You can always continue achieving more, you will have obstacles but you can get past them.
David Goggins
“The reason it’s important to push hardest when you want to quit the most is because it helps you callous your mind. It’s the same reason why you have to do your best work when you are the least motivated. That’s why I loved PT in BUD/S and why I still love it today. Physical challenges strengthen my mind so I’m ready for whatever life throws at me, and it will do the same for you.”
Mindset Hack 3 – The 40% Rule
When you think you’re done, the truth is you’re only about 40 percent done. This statement seems to ring true and it would seem that at moments when we feel that we are spend we well and truly have so much more in the tank. The saying mind over matter rings extremely true here. While we have this perception of our limits we as individuals require to push passed these mindset limitations and allow the body to push through to new levels not ever thought achievable.
The body has a reserve tank that we rarely tap into but is there. We need to push ourselves past our limits and realise that its purely mental rather than physical. When we push ourselves past our limits we find that once in the groove again, you’ve moved past this mental barrier and the body itself pushes through.
In the words of Goggins “Stay Hard!”
“The reason it’s important to push hardest when you want to quit the most is because it helps you callous your mind. It’s the same reason why you have to do your best work when you are the least motivated. That’s why I loved PT in BUD/S and why I still love it today. Physical challenges strengthen my mind so I’m ready for whatever life throws at me, and it will do the same for you.”
David Goggins
Key message of the book
Figure out the things that are holding you back from achieving the things in life you want to achieve. Then make a plan to address these blocks and make the necessary changes in your life and habits to put you on the right path. Focus on yourself and the outcome and in time the work you do will help you become a rockstar badass!
“I wasn’t born this mother fucker, I made him!”
David Goggins
