During a recent bout of Covid that left me bedridden and camping out in the spare room, I finally got around to reading David Goggins’ book Can’t Hurt Me, which had been on my suggested reading list for a long time. Goggins is a retired Navy SEAL and one of the world’s most prolific ultra-endurance athletes. He’s also one of the most inspiring people on earth, and I would highly recommend the book to anyone needing a little boost in life.

In Can’t Hurt Me, Goggins frequently refers to the 40% Rule, a SEAL mindset built on the premise that humans typically use only 40% of their potential. The mind serves as a governor for the body, he attests, and starts to seek comfort at the onset of pain and suffering, which typically occurs when we’ve expended 40% of our physical and mental abilities. The 40% Rule also contends that we simply need to push through the initial resistance and urges to quit to begin to unlock the 60% reserve we have left in the tank. Goggins also extends the 40% Rule to life, insisting that how we deal with challenges and obstacles is not defined by ability, but rather mindset.

To be clear, I don’t pretend to have much in common with David Goggins and I’m in awe at his superhuman achievements. That said, I’m a firm believer in the concept of the 40% Rule, and I know the mind is capable of extraordinary things. As an entrepreneur, I’ve been told “no” more times than I can count and have been knocked down so often I have permanent grass stains on my knees, yet I always get up, clean myself off, and forge ahead. As an endurance runner, I’ve pushed through excruciating barriers during most runs. In a recent mountainous ultramarathon in stifling summer heat, I was demolished at the halfway point and could barely muster the courage to continue. My mind was sounding alarms to get me to stop, but I resisted the urges and took things a kilometer at a time while swatting away a barrage of really nasty demons. The final 10 kilometers consisted of a near vertical 2-kilometer climb, followed by 8 weaving kilometers downhill to the finish line. I suffered immeasurably on the way up and vividly remember making deals with myself that I would never run again if I managed to survive and reach the summit, but when I crossed over the peak the weight of the world lifted from my shoulders and I ran down the final 8 kilometers to the finish line like a new man, passing numerous runners in the process.

As I mentioned previously on this site, I’m a firm believer that everything of true value in life requires time and effort and a certain level of pain and suffering, which aligns perfectly with the concept of the 40% Rule. For me, success in entrepreneurship, life, and endurance running is not about being smarter than others, achieving more, or running faster, it’s about knowing that I have given all I can and emptied the tank to achieve the things I have.

– Ultra Trail Chic Choc Mountains

– Still feeling the effects of my ultramarathon the morning after, but man that sunrise was beautiful