This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "Can't Hurt Me" by David Goggins. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
Like this article? Sign up for a free trial here .
Are you looking for the best Can’t Hurt Me quotes? What advice does David Goggins offer on how to get motivated?
Author David Goggins aims to inspire and motivate by pushing people out of their comfort zone and encouraging them to achieve their potential. These Can’t Hurt Me quotes explain that you may face discomfort, but it’s worth it.
Keep reading for motivational Can’t Hurt Me quotes from David Goggins.
Can’t Hurt Me Quotes
These five Can’t Hurt Me quotes are motivational and inspiring. Author David Goggins overcame incredible obstacles in life and went on to join the Air Force, become a Navy SEAL, and break the all-time push-up record.
You can use these five incredible Can’t Hurt Me quotes to motivate you and help you understand why pushing yourself matters.
“You are in danger of living a life so comfortable and soft, that you will die without ever realizing your true potential.”
We often decide to take on challenges while we’re in our comfort zone, but we’re so comfortable, we don’t anticipate obstacles that could arise. To deal with this, we need additional strategies to keep going, even when we face obstacles and want to quit.
Reminding yourself of your previous accomplishments is one way to overcome obstacles. Goggins calls this collection of accomplishments your Cookie Jar.
There’s science behind this strategy. If you get overwhelmed by obstacles, you may forget why you’re doing something and start talking to yourself in a negative way that robs you of energy to keep going. When you feel stressed, your body’s fight or flight system is at work. It’s trying to make a decision about whether to continue with what you’re doing (fight) or abandon it (flight). Focusing on your accomplishments instead of doubtful negative self-talk reminds you of what you’re capable of, giving you the energy to “fight” and keep going.
This is just one of the Can’t Hurt Me quotes about pushing yourself.
“No one is going to come help you. No one’s coming to save you.”
Each night, he wrote his goals for the next day down on Post-it notes and placed them on the mirror, his “accountability mirror.” Then, he’d make sure he worked toward his goals each day. He’d give himself a tough talk about the steps he needed to take and why. For example, he’d call himself out for being stupid and tell himself he needed to study to fix that. He found this method more motivating than being gentle with himself.
Using his accountability mirror to work toward his goals allowed Goggins to pass the Air Force qualifying exam and graduate from high school.
“It’s a lot more than mind over matter. It takes relentless self discipline to schedule suffering into your day, every day.”
One day, Goggins watched a TV program about the Navy SEALs and decided to apply, but he was told to get his weight down to below 191 pounds. He also needed to pass the same qualifying test he’d taken to get into the Air Force, but with a better score.
Goggins had 3 months to study and lose 106 pounds. He started exercising heavily, and if he skimped on any training, he made himself do the complete workout over again. He forced himself to do the work even when he didn’t want to. When he started doubting himself or feeling depressed, he realized he needed to redirect that energy into the exercise. He succeeded in losing the weight and passing the qualifying test.
To push yourself toward your goals, learn to do things that make you uncomfortable. They can be related to your goals, but don’t have to be—building your tolerance for discomfort will prevent it from holding you back.
“The most important conversations you’ll ever have are the ones you’ll have with yourself.”
You may struggle to take actionable steps to reach your goals. In this challenge, break your goals into smaller steps, regularly work toward them, and keep yourself accountable to achieve success.
As a teen, Goggins continued to struggle with racism, school, and a longing to join the Air Force, but he didn’t want to use his struggles as excuses. So he devised a way to make his goals more manageable: writing Post-it notes of goals on his mirror to hold himself accountable for reaching them.
Each night, he wrote his goals for the next day down on Post-it notes and placed them on the mirror, his “accountability mirror.” Then, he’d make sure he worked toward his goals each day. He’d give himself a tough talk about the steps he needed to take and why. For example, he’d call himself out for being stupid and tell himself he needed to study to fix that. He found this method more motivating than being gentle with himself.
Using his accountability mirror to work toward his goals allowed Goggins to pass the Air Force qualifying exam and graduate from high school.
“We all need small sparks, small accomplishments in our lives to fuel the big ones. Think of your small accomplishments as kindling. When you want a bonfire, you don’t start by lighting a big log. You collect some witch’s hair—a small pile of hay or some dry, dead grass. You light that, and then add small sticks and bigger sticks before you feed your tree stump into the blaze. Because it’s the small sparks, which start small fires, that eventually build enough heat to burn the whole fucking forest down.”
In Can’t Hurt Me, author David Goggins describes his transformation from someone who let his circumstances control him to someone who proactively works toward his goals and seeks greatness. He thinks everyone can work to cultivate a drive for self-improvement in order to overcome obstacles and reach their goals.
As a young man, Goggins developed strategies to push himself to achieve more. He especially enjoyed physical challenges, serving in the Army and as a Navy SEAL and competing in ultramarathons and other athletic events. He always looked for ways to push himself to new heights.
Goggins’s experience has taught him that most people don’t recognize or work toward their true potential. Working toward new goals can be uncomfortable because we’re trying new things that don’t come easy at first, like learning a new language or training for a half marathon. Because of this, it’s easy to make choices that keep you in your comfort zone and on the same mediocre path. He estimates that most people only achieve 40 percent of their potential.
These are not the only motivational Can’t Hurt Me quotes. David Goggins continues to inspire and motivate people through his work and his training programs.
———End of Preview———
Like what you just read? Read the rest of the world's best book summary and analysis of David Goggins's "Can't Hurt Me" at Shortform .
Here's what you'll find in our full Can't Hurt Me summary :
- What a Navy SEAL says about pushing yourself to achieve greatness
- How to put in more effort to realize your potential
- The 10 challenges you can take on to reach your goals
