David Goggins, the author of Never Finished, was hit and abused as a child and a victim of racism. However, instead of succumbing to his traumatic experiences, he found a way to channel his demons. He decided to become the toughest person on earth and actively sought out the most demanding physical and mental challenges he could find.
Life Lessons from Goggins
In Never Finished, Goggins shares the best life lessons he learned from pushing himself to the limit and often beyond it. Whether it is from his training as a Navy Seal, his medical career, or his experiences as an endurance athlete, he provides the blueprint and principles he developed so that readers can embrace the suck, push themselves harder, and become more.
Video Review of Never Finished by David Goggins
Highlights and takeaways from Never Finished
David Goggins Creed
“I live with a day one, week one mentality. This mentality is routed in self-discipline, personal accountability, and humility. While most people stop when they are tired I stop when I’m done. In a world where mediocrity is often the standard, my life’s mission is to become uncommon amongst the uncommon.”
Foxhole
Goggins refers to the closed circle of people around us as the Foxhole. He emphasizes the importance of evolving with our inner circle, especially when we are on a mission to become a better version of ourselves. If our friends or family members cannot support our growth, it is okay to fight alone until we find the right people to support and fight with us. The people in our foxhole need to allow us to be ourselves.
Self-Leadership and Discipline
Goggins believes that self-leadership and discipline are the great equalizers. Nothing stops us, and everything is available to those who prepare. We can prepare as if we are already there, so when the time comes, and we land that opportunity, we are ready to smash it. No matter how busy our lives are, discipline erases all disadvantages. Nowadays, it does not matter where we come from or who we are. If we are disciplined, nothing can stop us.
Record and Listen
Goggins takes journaling to the next level by externalizing his innermost thoughts. Instead of writing down his darkest moments, he speaks to them out loud, and records them, during his training. Audio has a more profound effect on the mind according to Goggins. Listening to ourselves complain about our trauma, how tired you are, or how badly you want to quit is tough. But it forces you to face our weaknesses. When we speak the unfiltered truth into the microphone and listen to it repeatedly we can see clearly how we can change the narrative of our lives. Because the stories we tell ourselves are just that — stories.
Podcasts
Reading Never Finished as an audiobook is recommended because between chapters, there are podcast episodes elaborating further on what you just read.. Truth be told, some of the most powerful lessons come from those podcasts. One especially powerful episode is when Goggins interviews his mother about how it was to live with his abusive father.
Book Verdict – Never Finished
The book started out like more of the same, and I feared disappointment, but it gathered steam, and I found myself both captivated and inspired by the book. It may seem crazy, and one could call Goggins masochistic, but it is inspiring to see someone push themselves to their limits. It forces us to ask the question, “What could I achieve if I went all in?” If only half of Goggins’ stories were true, he would still be one of the hardest people around, and there is always a lot we can learn from people who push themselves to the extreme.
Is Never Finished for you?
Never Finished is a book that will inspire and motivate readers to push beyond their limits. Goggins shows readers that anything is possible with self-discipline and the right mindset. This book will force readers to reflect on their lives and ask themselves if they are doing all they can to achieve their goals. If you are looking for a book to challenge you and push you to become your best self, Never Finished by David Goggins is an excellent choice.
Should I read Can’t Hurt Me before reading Never Finished?
If you found value in Can’t Hurt Me, David Goggins first book, then you would want to check this one out. If you haven’t read that one already I think you should start with Can’t Hurt Me and then pick up Never Finished if you feel a need for more Goggins.
You can find a full review of Can’t Hurt Me right here.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ out of 5
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“I live with a day one, week one mentality. This mentality is routed in self-discipline, personal accountability, and humility. While most people stop when they are tired I stop when I’m done. In a world where mediocrity is often the standard, my life’s mission is to become uncommon amongst the uncommon.”
The book is about the best life lessons David Goggins learned by pushing himself to the limit, both physically and mentally. It provides blueprints and principles that readers can use to become more by embracing the suck and pushing themselves harder.
In the book, Never Finished, David Goggins refers to your closed circle as the “Foxhole”. It is the group of people you hang around with and speak to on a daily basis. When you evolve, your inner circle must evolve with you, otherwise, you may subconsciously halt your own growth to avoid outpacing and losing contact with the people who mean a lot to you but may not be able to hang with the upgraded version of you.
David Goggins uses the “record and listen” approach to journaling. Instead of writing down his darkest moments, he spoke to them out loud during his training. According to him, audio has a more profound effect on the mind. Listening to yourself complain about your trauma, how tired you are, and how badly you want to quit is tough, but it forces you to face your weakness. Speaking the unfiltered truth into the microphone and listening to it over and over can be therapeutic. It helps you change the narrative of your life.
es, the book is worth reading if you found value in David Goggins’ first book, “Can’t Hurt Me”. It is inspiring to see someone push themselves to limits and ask yourself what you could achieve if you went all in. The book provides blueprints and principles that readers can use to become more by embracing the suck and pushing themselves harder. The podcast episodes between the chapters are also powerful and provide valuable insights.
