“When you feel exhausted, tired and you want to give up, you´re really only 40 percent done: You still have 60 percent left.” It is a motto lived by the Navy Seals and the more you think about it, the more exciting it gets. Because at 40%, we might just scratch our real potential.
As a Navy SEAL, Rich has a ton of experience training for extreme situations when things might go wrong. He relies on what's known as the 80/20 rule. In any situation, 20% of what goes on is beyond your control. Let that sink in for a minute.
And the 40% rule is this. When your brain says you're done, you're only at 40%. Cause it's a scientific fact. The way our brain is wired, when we experience pain or discomfort on any level, it doesn't have to be physical.
SEAL's 40 percent rule states that when your mind tells you're done, you're only really 40 percent done. It's a remarkable outlook, shared by marathon runners who, despite hitting a wall, manage to make it to the finish line.
David Goggins uses the 1-Second Decision to make quick decisions during painful or extreme situations, such as in Navy SEAL training. In these situations, he emphasizes the importance of gaining control of your mind, putting things back in the proper perspective, and remembering why you really want to be there.
The David Goggins Challenge, known as the 4x4x48 program, is a tough yet rewarding test of physical and mental strength. Participants run 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours straight. This challenge, created by David Goggins, pushes individuals to their limits and helps build resilience.
“Just stay in your three-foot world.”
“Only focus on your three-foot world,” he said. “Focus on what you can affect. You keep looking around, and none of that can help you right now, can it?”
Age and citizenship
The Navy SEAL requirements state that all Navy SEAL candidates are between the ages of 18 and 28, though candidates who are 17 can attend the training with signed parental permission. Navy SEAL candidates are also required to be United States citizens.
Next time you think you've reached your limit, do one more. Next time you think you can't go on, go a little farther. Challenge yourself to see if you can endure just a little more. In time, challenging yourself will become a habit -- and so will accomplishing much more than you would have ever thought possible.
Goggins combined a strict, low-calorie diet (around 800 calories daily) with intense workouts that burned over 5,000 calories a day, leading to a dramatic weight loss of 100 pounds in just three months.
The Cookie Jar Method is a mental resilience exercise where you metaphorically fill a 'cookie jar' with past successes, positive experiences, and personal triumphs. Whenever you face a challenge or need a boost of confidence, you reach into this jar for a 'cookie' – a reminder of your strengths and accomplishments.
Goggins prefers to get seven to eight hours of sleep when possible but it's not a luxury that's set in stone. There are times when his morning commitments only allow him three hours of sleep, but even that doesn't deter him from sticking to his strict training regimen. I like getting seven to eight hours of sleep.
Yes - "another year or two," maybe even more. By this time, your original enlistment may be done. Now you have a choice - keep trying or leave the Navy. Maybe join another branch of service if Special Ops is your goal.
The future of humankind lies at sea, which is demonstrated by the 70-80-90-99 rule: the sea covers 70 percent of the surface of the globe, 80 percent of its population lives near the sea, 90 percent of goods are transported on ships, and 99 percent of world's digital information is carried by submarine cables.
WITH SOME ASSUMPTIONS: • Pension starts at 50% of base pay at 20 years and increases by 2.5% for every additional year of service. 100% Disability pay of adjusted annually with COLA (2%). Civilian career starting at $100,000/year, with 7% annual raises, ending at age 65.
The Navy SEALs
Navy SEAL teams are a special ops fighting force completing missions from air, land and sea by whatever means necessary. These teams specialize in unconventional warfare tactics to complete missions all around the world – from capturing high-profile terrorists to detonating bombs for beach landings.
How much does a Navy Seal make? As of Mar 14, 2025, the average annual pay for a Navy Seal in the United States is $98,176 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $47.20 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,888/week or $8,181/month.
Running. Running is a significant part of SEAL training, and the distance trainees cover increases over time. For the first two weeks of training, they run two miles a day at an 8-1/2 minute pace for three days a week. After that period, they run three miles a day for four days a week.
The Navy SEAL nap is a type of power nap popularized by former Navy SEAL Jocko Willink who tweeted that an 8–minute power nap with his feet elevated left him feeling recharged and gave him the energy to power through the rest of his day.
Decision-Making: In combat or critical missions, SEALs often face split-second decisions that can have life-or-death consequences. The "1 Second Rule" symbolizes the necessity of assessing situations quickly and acting decisively to maintain tactical advantage and safeguard lives.
In 2013, David Goggins broke the Guinness World Records title for most pull-ups in a 24 hour period. 4030 pull-ups in 17 hours, 16 minutes.
David is currently engaged to Jennifer Kish.
In 2005, David Goggins decided to take on an ultramarathon challenge which involved running over 3100 miles (5000 km) across the United States from San Francisco to New York City without taking any days off – a feat that no one had ever achieved before.