This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "The Way of the SEAL" by Mark Divine. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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How do you stay focused on your goals? Why are goals crucial for creating powerful leaders?
As a leader, you need goals to motivate you and your team to improve. In The Way of the SEAL, Mark Divine recommends using breathing exercises to help you stay focused and on track.
Check out how to focus on your goals with Divine’s helpful advice.
Focus Intensely On Your Goals
Divine says that to connect with your inner power and be a strong leader, you must learn how to focus on your goals with a high level of intensity—what the Navy SEALS call “front sight focus,” or, intensely and narrowly focused like you’re aiming through the front sight of a gun. When you place your whole focus on achieving each small goal in front of you you won’t get distracted by obstacles. This will allow you to stay calm and will give you a sense of accomplishment each time you achieve a goal, increasing your confidence and helping you operate at your best.
(Shortform note: Psychologists argue that while focusing intensely on one goal at a time can help you achieve them, pursuing one goal to the exclusion of others can lead you to act in unethical ways to achieve those goals. For example, when school districts use students’ standardized test scores to measure teachers’ performance, some teachers cheat and report false grades. To prevent poor outcomes like this, set a second goal to balance your first goal.)
Divine says the Navy SEALs used front sight focus to break large tasks into small ones and capture Osama bin Laden. The SEALS didn’t know where to find bin Laden, so instead they found and interviewed smaller targets who could lead them to him. Each person provided information that led to the next—until, eight years later, the SEALS finally located and killed bin Laden.
To focus intensely on your goals, avoid distractions, and overcome obstacles you encounter while trying to achieve your goals, Divine says you have to manage your squirrely mind.
Manage Your Squirrely Mind With Breathing Exercises
Divine recommends using two deep breathing strategies to tame your frenetic, distractible brain and keep you focused on your goals—one to navigate immediate anxiety and the other as a regular practice to keep you goal-focused. In each case, deep breathing helps you observe and neutralize extraneous chatter in your head and reduces physiological, fear-related responses sparked by uncertainty.
Exercise 1: Deep breathing to navigate anxiety-provoking situations
Find a quiet spot to sit. Inhale slowly through your nose, then exhale slowly through your nose. Pay attention to your stomach and chest as they rise and fall with each inhalation and exhalation. Do this four times, and repeat this any time you encounter challenging situations.
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Here's what you'll find in our full The Way of the SEAL summary:
- A former Navy SEAL's strategies to help business leaders
- A mind-body technique that combines yoga, martial arts, and SEAL training
- How to bolster and harness your mental fortitude
