Navy SEAL Mental Toughness

by Chris Lambertsen

  Navy SEALs possess one trait that sets them apart from most people: The relentless pursuit of excellence that SEALs demonstrate in all they do. This trait lies at the core of the spirit of the Navy SEAL community. They simply choose to pursue excellence in everything they do. It isn’t easy to achieve, it doesn’t just happen—it requires dedication and self-discipline.

  One of my favorite quotes comes from Richard Machowicz’s Unleash the Warrior Within. It is a testament of the mental fortitude that most SEALs display:

  I had to get myself in the mindset of never giving up no matter what. A buddy of mine gave me a quote which stated, ‘A man can only be beaten in two ways: if he gives up or he dies.’ I had that quote in my wallet until the pencil marks rubbed off. I really lived that motto. I decided that if I am not dead, then I cannot quit.

  This simple quote gave Machowicz the motivation he needed to fulfill his dream of being one of the exceptional men he admired. No amount of pain, no suffering, nothing short of dying would deter him from his goal.

  I wish I could tell you that there is a quick and easy way to achieve this level of excellence. The truth is that there are no short-cuts. It is ultimately up to you to do the work. It won’t be easy and it won’t be fast, it is a hard road that takes time, effort, and a lot of heart. Just being a good performer won't cut it. You have to give everything you have just to make it to the next day. Just like managing stress, you have to focus on one piece at a time. So don't worry about the test you have in the afternoon. Your goal is to make it to breakfast. Then lunch, and so on. If you wake up knowing that every day will pose new challenges and that you are ready to face them head-on, you will be well equipped to achieve any goal you set.

  Everything you’ve read so far focuses on a simple concept that is the foundation of SEAL success: Pursue excellence in everything you do, execute all tasks with vigor and intensity; winning can be the only acceptable outcome.

  It’s your decision to make. Think about what goals you are striving to achieve. Whatever your objective may be, chances are it will require some level of focus, self-discipline, and determination. It’s as simple as that, no more excuses, simply go “all in” and decide that you are going to become an exceptional person.

  Becoming Mentally Tough

  As stated previously, the definition of mental toughness is difficult to pin-point, but we have presented various traits that are present in anyone who is considered to be mentally tough. So this leads me to believe that mental toughness can in fact be taught.

  It is also my belief that developing mental toughness should not be limited to only those who are preparing to become Navy SEALs, but rather it should be undertaken by everyone who has a goal to achieve. It doesn’t matter what your goal or objective is, mental toughness is essential to its achievement.

  What Does Mental Toughness Look Like for You

  Depending on what your desired outcome or final objective is, you should define what mental toughness looks like for you. If you are contemplating joining the Navy SEALs or other branch of the special operations community, you will inevitably need to be mentally and physically fit in order to meet the demands of training and operations down the line. You will need to be able to withstand unimaginable amounts of pain, remain motivated despite the difficult challenges you’re facing, and be willing to put your life at risk every day.

  However if your goal is something other than that, you will still need mental toughness to be able to achieve it. Your definition of mental toughness might be:

  Running a race you don’t think you can finish.

  Starting your own business.

  Learning a new skill.

  Changing your eating habits.

  Being promoted at work.

  Writing your first book.

  Once you have a clear picture of what you want to accomplish you can begin to formulate a plan for how you can achieve it. It will be easier to develop the mental toughness necessary by associating your goals with actionable tasks that you can track. The main thing to understand is that mental toughness requires action, you can’t wait for it to simply happen for you, you actually have to take steps to make it happen.

  Find Comfort in Discomfort

  Whatever challenge you set for yourself, ultimately your success will depend upon your ability to persevere and push through situations or periods of time that bring forth various forms of discomfort, anxiety, and self-doubt. Accepting that every day will bring forth new problems to solve, turmoil, and even setbacks and failure, will help you build your confidence and will increase your mental toughness every day. The time will come when you might even actually look forward to it!

  Elevating your Level of Mental Toughness

  I would like to introduce you to some basic ways in which you can begin increasing your mental toughness.

  1. Begin

  Yes, very simply, get started! All that this step will require is for you to make the decision that you are 100% committed to this goal. I know it sounds very simple, and it really is simple, but it’s not easy. This time, though, I think that by following these tips it will be much easier to reach your goal. This step is crucial though. You must commit. There’s a switch that goes off in your mind when you truly commit to something—this is the beginning phase of gaining mental toughness.

  2. Milestones

  Most challenging goals will take time to achieve. Sometimes thinking about how long something is going to take to finish, stops you from even starting it. Don’t focus on how to get the whole thing done, just break it down into smaller goals and check them off as you go.

  It is better to set attainable goals that you can work toward and focus on rather than having a huge unattainable dream looming over you. If, for example, your dream is to be able to run a marathon, and all you can think about is how in the world you are going to make it through 26.2 miles, you might never even sign up for the race. But when you break down your training into increments over a period of time, then at the beginning of the training you only need to focus on running 3 miles.

  Once you start accomplishing these small goals your confidence will start to grow and you will start to feel a new sense of purpose. You will begin to believe that this huge dream that seemed unattainable, might just be possible.

  3. Don’t Let Setbacks Set You Back

  You may be doing everything right, you have your plan, you’ve set your goals, you are achieving and progressing, and then there’s an unexpected change. Whether is a deadline being moved on you, or the location of a performance or game, or maybe you get sick or injured. You can’t let any of these setbacks derail you. Simply look at the situation and adjust your plan accordingly.

  There’s a well know saying in the armed forces: “Not even the best plan survives the first shot.” This means that it doesn’t matter how sound a battle plan may be, the moment the shooting starts there will be chaos and things will go wrong, and the plan will need to be adjusted.

  This is good advice for anyone in any situation. When an obstacle suddenly arises that threatens to derail your plan, simply acknowledge and accept that there’s a setback, adapt and adjust calmly, and KEEP GOING!

  4. Become an Early Riser

  When you wake up early and start your day achieving something, over time the cumulative effects of that extra hour or two of dedicated daily effort will yield significant results. One former special operator who is now a highly-successful entrepreneur told me that getting up earlier and attacking his task list while almost everyone else (including his competition) is still sleeping is his “secret weapon.” He, like many other early-risers, feels that he often accomplishes more before 8am than he does during the rest of the day.

  Initially, it may be difficult to think about changing your sleeping habits, but the human body is very adaptable, and after approximately two weeks you will find that you will have adjusted to the change and it will become part of your routine. Just as discussed above, don’t look at it as this huge lifestyle
change, simply try it out for a week, then two weeks, and so on. Making this change successfully will also further develop your mental toughness.

  5. Get outside Your Comfort Zone

  You cannot develop mental toughness unless you attempt things that challenge you in a significant way. The more you try new, scary things, the broader that comfort zone will become.

  I can say without reservation that almost all of the special operators I have had the pleasure of working with demonstrated a great amount of eagerness to try and learn new things in their professional and personal lives. They figured out that your levels of mental and physical capacity either grow or decrease—depending on how much you are exercising them—but they don’t remain constant without some type of challenge.

  Don’t become stagnant, always strive to advance your knowledge, increase your physical ability, and expand your horizons. Try different foods, go to new places, learn a new language, start a new hobby, these are all various ways in which you can take yourself out of your comfort zone and develop your mental toughness.

  6. Control your Fears

  It is critical for Navy SEALs to be able to remain focused even when the threat of injury or death is near. In order to function under these conditions, Navy SEALs go through intense, extensive training to learn how to anticipate those situations, implement the steps to override the natural human response, and neutralize its effect on their performance.

  Even if your goal isn’t to become a SEAL, these techniques will help you in achieving any objective you have set your sights on. These techniques will give you the tools to overcome challenges, maintain focus, and carry on until you reach your goal.

  7. Find a Mentor

  I’m sure that throughout your life you have met people whom you admire and wish to emulate. People who have worked hard, faced the odds, and come out victorious in the end. You have probably watched them put forth a tremendous effort, never wavering, never giving in to despair, but always steadily working toward their goals.

  If you are fortunate enough to know someone like that, you should definitely put in the effort to strike up conversations with them and work on building a relationship of trust and respect. Mentorship will undoubtedly follow.

  8. The Power of Knowledge

  One of the easiest ways to gain knowledge is through reading. When you find a topic that interests you, with today’s technology, it won’t be difficult to find countless articles and material on the subject. Take a look at anyone who is the best in their field and you will probably find that they are always well versed on the latest and greatest information available in their field. This is because they are constantly reading and studying any new discoveries or material related to their field.

  A common misconception about Navy SEALs is that they are big muscular guys with a lot of guts but not a lot of brains. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Navy SEALs are required to expertly know and understand countless facts about geography, cartography, tactics, languages, customs and traditions of various places, weapons systems, technology, and a myriad other topics.

  In this day in age, there truly is no excuse for the average person not to be able to acquire knowledge on any topic that is of interest to them. Remember knowledge is power, and in difficult situations, having an edge can help you overcome many obstacles.

  9. Shared Interests

  As you journey toward accomplishing your goal, whatever it may be, make sure to reach out and find others who share the same interests. The knowledge you can gain from simple conversations with others who share your same goals is priceless. They will also understand better than most what you may be feeling as you travel the same path. They will become part of your support network.

  Developing mental toughness should be at the top of your to-do list regardless of what goals you have set for yourself. It is fair to say that if you are going to be in a field where physical strength and prowess are a requirement, then mental toughness will play a significant role in your success. But keep in mind that mental toughness is essential to success even in professions where very little physical exertion occurs.

  You now know that mental toughness can in fact be learned, developed, and optimized. You have the knowledge, you have the tools, and all you have to do is put it into practice!

  The Meaning of Success

  For each of us, success has a distinct meaning. We each define it differently depending on our goals in life. There are many variables that will impact that definition. The stage of our lives we are living, experiences we’ve had, and the advantages or disadvantages we have lived with.

  It is important to express in some way what your vision of success looks like. You can write it down, or draw a picture and make sure that it is visible every day. It is also critical that you define some short term and long term goals that go along with it. It is important for you to see how you are progressing on the path to achieving your notion of success.

  It’s ok for that definition to change over the course of the years. As you go through life many factors will change that will influence your decisions, and by default, may alter your vision of the future. But it is important that you never lose sight of the goals you want to accomplish.

  Remember to stay positive no matter what challenges you face. The key to success lies in your diligence, preparation, and constant pursuit of excellence. Become mentally tough, be knowledgeable in your field, and most importantly never, ever give up! Success is within your reach, you just have to decide to go for it!