Introduction

I first came across the author Admiral William H. McRaven when I watched a video clip of his speech when he addressed the graduating class of the University of Texas. His speech was very inspiring and so when I saw he had written a book for life/mindset based on his ten lessons learnt from SEAL training I knew that it would be a book that would be useful to entrepreneurs.

General

This book is just 130 pages long and an easy read, but the content is profound as it will help obtain a mindset that can help anyone move forward in their business. There are 10 chapters in the book, the titles will resonate with entrepreneurs and are as follows:

1. Start your day with a task completed
2. You can’t go it alone
3. Only the size of your heart matters
4. Life is not fair – Drive on
5. Failure can make you stronger
6. You must dare greatly
7. Stand up to bullies
8. Rise up to the occasion
9. Give people hope
10. Never, ever quit

The training that Admiral McRaven went under was designed to push them to the limit both physically and mentally, so there is a high rate of fallout with people quitting. This is no different to people wanting to start a business but when things get tough they quit and go back to a job because it is easier. Admiral McRaven had a parachute accident at 5,500 feet where his pelvis was ripped apart by almost five inches, and his stomach muscles became detached from the pelvic bone and became bedridden for two months, he thought that this was the end of his career, but his wife and boss refused to let him indulge in self-pity and reminded him who he is, and this support got him back on track and saved his career with eventually passing a fitness test and back on active duty. This should remind entrepreneurs that they can’t do everything themselves, they need help to move forward in their business.

During training, if they failed an event their names went down in the instructor’s notebook to join the ‘Circus list’. The circus was held at the end of the days training and was another ‘two hours of additional callisthenics, the obstacle course, the timed runs, or swims.’ The circus was feared by the trainees because they would be exhausted from the extra workout and there was a chance of failing the standard again which meant another circus. ‘It was a death spiral, a cycle of failure that caused many students to quit training.’ Admiral McRaven ended up on the circus list and stayed on it for a little while but refused to give up, and what he found was that he started to get stronger, faster and more confident. In the final 5-mile open water swim he and his swim buddy finished way ahead of the rest of the class. The Admiral sums up the circus in this way: ‘In life, you will face a lot of circuses. You will pay for failures. But, if you persevere, if you let those failures teach you and strengthen you, then you will be prepared to handle life’s toughest moments.’

Summary

Throughout the book, there are lots of gems that if you apply it to your business and life it will help you move forward. This book is small enough to keep with you and refer to when you think that things are tough and that you want to quit or stuck in a rut.