David Goggins is a retired Navy SEAL, Iraq War veteran, accomplished endurance athlete, and highly sought after public speaker. He’s authored the New York Times Best-selling book ‘You Can’t Hurt Me’, along with his new book, ‘Never Finished’, and has become an icon when it comes to the power of self-discipline, mental toughness, and hard work.
Having transformed himself from a depressed, overweight young man with no future into one of the toughest men alive — becoming the only person in history to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller, we feel it’s safe to say that Goggins knows a thing or two about self-motivation, determination, and rising up to accomplish the impossible. As such, we’re publishing some of the best David Goggins quotes to help you peer into a mind that knows how to easily overcome obstacles and defy the odds.
So, if you’re ready for a strong dose of motivation and tough love, let’s dive into these powerful David Goggins quotes:
100 BEST DAVID GOGGINS QUOTES FOR MOTIVATION
1. “Never let people who choose the path of least resistance steer you away from your chosen path of most resistance.” – David Goggins
2. “No one is going to come help you. No one’s coming to save you.” – David Goggins
3. “Life is one big tug of war between mediocrity and trying to find your best self.” – David Goggins
4. “The path to success will leave you callused, bruised, and very tired. It will also leave you empowered.” – David Goggins
5. “There is no better way to grow as a person than to do everyday something you hate.” – David Goggins
6. “Everybody comes to a point in their life when they want to quit. But it’s what you do at that moment that determines who you are.” – David Goggins
7. “I don’t stop when I’m tired, I stop when I’m done.” – David Goggins
8. “You can tolerate doubt as a backseat driver, but if you put doubt in the pilot’s seat, defeat is guaranteed.” – David Goggins
9. “We all have the ability to come from nothing to something.” – David Goggins
10. “Suffering is the true test of life.” – David Goggins
Motivational David Goggins Quotes
David Goggins is not big on leaning on external motivation, but, his quotes sure are motivating, and these quotes in particular are his most motivating. So, if you’re looking to get fired up to take action and get to work on your goals, these motivational David Goggins quotes will help you get it done.
11. “Nobody cares what you did yesterday. What have you done today to better yourself?” – David Goggins
12. “Be more than motivated, be more than driven, become literally obsessed to the point where people think you’re f*cking nuts.” – David Goggins
13. “Don’t focus on what you think you deserve. Take aim at what you are willing to earn.” – David Goggins
14. “Comfort zones: If you live in one too long… that becomes your norm. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.” – David Goggins
15. “Tell yourself the truth! That you’ve wasted enough time, and that you have other dreams that will take courage to realize, so you don’t die a f**king pussy.” – David Goggins
16. “If you want to get better, do the things that no-one else wants to do. Do the things that no-one is even thinking about doing.” – David Goggins
17. “I thought I’d solved a problem when really I was creating new ones by taking the path of least resistance.” – David Goggins
18. “Everybody wants a quick fix. You may get results, but they won’t be permanent. The permanent results come from you having to suffer.” – David Goggins
19. “We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.” – David Goggins
20. “Mental toughness is a lifestyle.” – David Goggins
21. “Read a record number of books in a given month. If you’re focused on intellectual growth, train yourself to study harder and longer than ever before.” – David Goggins
22. “Everybody comes to a point in their life when they want to quit. But it’s what you do at that moment that determines who you are.” – David Goggins
23. “If you don’t challenge yourself, you don’t know yourself.” – David Goggins
24. “I’m different than most people… when I cross the finish line of a big race, I see that people are ecstatic, but I’m thinking about what I’m going to do tomorrow. It’s as if my Journey is everlasting and there is no finish line.” – David Goggins
25. “It’s possible to transcend anything that doesn’t kill you.” – David Goggins
26. “Failure is an option. It’s what you do with the failure that makes you who you are. Our failures mold us. I have failed at several things in my life. What sets some of us apart, is that when we fail, we can’t sleep at night. It haunts us until we have our time at redemption.” – David Goggins
27. “From the time you take your first breath, you become eligible to die. You also become eligible to find your greatness and become the One Warrior. But it is up to you to equip yourself for the battle ahead.” – David Goggins
28. “Greatness pulls mediocrity into the mud. Get out there and get after it.” – David Goggins
29. “Very few people know how the bottom feels, but I do. It’s like quicksand. It grabs you, sucks you under, and won’t let go. When life is like that it’s easy to drift and continue to make the same comfortable choices that are killing you, over and over again.” – David Goggins
30. “It’s time to go to war with yourself.” – David Goggins
Mindset Quotes by David Goggins
This next batch of quotes by David Goggins are related to the importance our mindset plays in how we show up in the world and achieve our goals. They provide excellent insight into how David has used his mind to achieve the impossible, and how you can too.
31. “We’re either getting better or we’re getting worse.” – David Goggins
32. “The only thing more contagious than a good attitude is a bad one.” – David Goggins
33. “When your mind is telling you that you’re done, that you’re exhausted, that you cannot possible go any further, you’re actually 40% done.” – David Goggins
34. “Denial is the ultimate comfort zone.” – David Goggins
35. “People take classes on self-help, mental toughness, breathing control — the only way to get tougher is to put yourself in hellacious situations.” – David Goggins
36. “You have to build calluses on your brain just like how you build calluses on your hands. Callus your mind through pain and suffering.” – David Goggins
37. “If you’re not physically and mentally prepared for what life is going to throw at you, then you’re just going to crumble, And then, you’re no good to nobody.” – David Goggins
38. “The more things you can do to get outside of that zone that makes you feel good, the stronger your mind is going to get. It starts getting used to doing things like this. It’s not fun, but now my mind is used to it.” – David Goggins
39. “Whenever you decided to follow a dream or set a goal, you are just as likely to come up with with all the reasons why the likelihood of success is low. Blame it on the fu**ed-up evolutionary wiring of the human mind. But you don’t have to let your doubt into the cockpit!” – David Goggins
40. “The mind is the most powerful thing in the world.” – David Goggins
41. “The reason it’s important to push hardest when you want to quit the most is because it helps you callous your mind. It’s the same reason why you have to do your best work when you are the least motivated.” – David Goggins
42. “Most of us we live in a box, and we don’t want to go out of that box at all, ever. Outside of that box is all these possibilities of life, but what we do is shackle our mind and we are a prisoner in our own mind.” – David Goggins
43. “In a human being your character is your foundation, and when you build a bunch of successes and pile up even more failures on a fu**ed-up foundation, the structure that is the self won’t be sound.” – David Goggins
44. “To develop an armored mind — a mindset so calloused and hard that it becomes bulletproof — you need to go to the source of all your fears and insecurities.” – David Goggins
45. “Only when you identify and accept your weaknesses will you finally stop running from your past.” – David Goggins
46. “Pain unlocks a secret doorway in the mind, one that leads to both peak performance, and beautiful silence.” – David Goggins
47. “Only you can master your mind, which is what it takes to live a bold life filled with accomplishments most people consider beyond their capability.” – David Goggins
48. “Everything in life is a mind game! Whenever we get swept under by life’s dramas, large and small, we are forgetting that no matter how bad the pain gets, no matter how harrowing the torture, all bad things end.” – David Goggins
49. “Our culture has become hooked on the quick-fix, the life hack, efficiency. Everyone is on the hunt for that simple action algorithm that nets maximum profit with the least amount of effort. There’s no denying this attitude may get you some of the trappings of success, if you’re lucky, but it will not lead to a calloused mind or self-mastery.” – David Goggins
50. “It’s so easy to be great these days, because everyone else is so weak.” – David Goggins
Inspiring David Goggins Quotes
This next set of quotes consists of some of the most inspirational David Goggins quotes source from his book, interviews, and social media activity. We think they’ll inspire you to want to push your limits and aim for the stars in all you do.
51. “You’re probably living at about 40 percent of your true capability.” – David Goggins
52. “The worst thing that can happen to a man is to become civilized” – David Goggins
53. “You are in danger of living a life so comfortable and soft, that you will die without ever realizing your true potential.” – David Goggins
54. “A warrior is a guy that goes, I’m here again today. I’ll be here again tomorrow and the next day.’ It’s a person who puts no limit on what’s possible.” – David Goggins
55. “If you can get through doing things that you hate to do, on the other side is greatness.” – David Goggins
56. “The only way that you’re ever going to get to the other side of this journey is by suffering. You have to suffer in order to grow. Some people get it, some people don’t.” – David Goggins
57. “We live in a world where a lot of people need goals, motivation, and a lot of other words to get started. It’s just a big excuse to not get started.” – David Goggins
58. “A warrior is not a person that carries a gun. The biggest war you ever go through is right between your own ears. It’s in your mind. We’re all going through a war in our mind, and we have to callus our minds to fight that war and to win that war.” – David Goggins
59. “The only reason why I became successful was because I went towards the truth. As painful and as brutal as it is, it changed me. It allowed me, in my own right, to become the person who I am today.” – David Goggins
60. “It may be satisfactory, but that’s another word for mediocrity.” – David Goggins
61. “We are all great. No matter if you think you’re dumb, fat, been bullied, we all have greatness. You gotta find the courage. It’s going to be hard work, discipline, and the non-cognitive skills — hard work, dedication, sacrifice — that will set you apart. – David Goggins
62. “Before you start a goal — let’s take care of our insecurities because they are going to surface when you put yourself in the crucible and you’re suffering.” – David Goggins
63. “A lot of people put motivational quotes up on the wall, and all they do is collect dust. Become what that quote says. Live it every day.” – David Goggins
64. “A normal person would give up. They’d say, fu** it, it’s just not meant to be, and refuse to torture themselves one minute more. But I wasn’t wired normal.” – David Goggins
65. “Show people, don’t tell people!” – David Goggins
66. “Most of us fail in life because we are afraid of what everyone around you is thinking.” – David Goggins
67. “When you fall down, focus on the solution, not the problem You might quit or fail 100 times. Keep that clear picture of where you want to be.” – David Goggins
68. “Be true to whoever or whatever you are and wear it like a bandage of honor. Fit in with one person and one person only: yourself.” – David Goggins
69. “Motivation is crap. Motivation comes and goes. When you’re driven, whatever is in front of you will get destroyed.” – David Goggins
70. “Life is the most brutal endurance sport of all time!” – David Goggins
71. “When you’re exhausted, weak, and tired and everyone around you looks just as bad as you or even worse- that’s the perfect time for you to make a statement. You let everyone around you know that when their life ends, that’s when yours begins.” – David Goggins
72. “If you want to be one of the few to defy those trends in our ever-softening society, you will have to be willing to go to war with yourself and create a whole new identity, which requires an open mind.” – David Goggins
73. “Most people who doubt you, doubt you because they can never see themselves doing what you are trying to do.” – David Goggins
74. “What put distance between me and almost everybody else in that platoon is that I didn’t let my desire for comfort rule me.” – David Goggins
75. “My work ethic is the single most important factor in all of my accomplishments.” – David Goggins
76. “In every failure a lot of good things will have happened, and we must acknowledge them.” – David Goggins
77. “Thicken your skin. Become more of a human being. Don’t be afraid of the reflection in the mirror.” – David Goggins
78. “If you choose to do something, Attack It.” – David Goggins
79. “Don’t focus on what you think you deserve. Take aim at what you are willing to earn!” – David Goggins
80. “Your entitled mind is dead weight. Cut it loose.” – David Goggins
81. “Most of us are motivated as hell to do anything to pursue our dreams until those around us remind us of the danger, the downside, our own limitations, and all the people before us that didn’t make it. Sometimes, the advice comes from a well intentioned place. They really believe they are doing it for our own good but if you let them, these same people will talk you out of your dreams, and your governor will help them do it.” – David Goggins
82. “Life is one big mind game. The only person you are playing against is yourself.” – David Goggins
83. “Starting at zero is a mindset that says my refrigerator is never full, and it never will be.” – David Goggins
84. “We can always become stronger and more agile, mentally and physically. We can always become more capable and more reliable. Since that’s the case we should never feel that our work is done. There is always more to do.” – David Goggins
85. “We are all fighting the same battle. All of us are torn between comfort and performance, between settling for mediocrity or being willing to suffer in order to become our best self, all the damn time.” – David Goggins
86. “We need to surround ourselves with people who will tell us what we need to hear, not what we want to hear, but at the same time not make us feel we’re up against the impossible.” – David Goggins
87. “In life, there is no gift as overlooked or inevitable as failure.” – David Goggins
88. “Luck is a capricious bi***. It won’t always go your way, so you can’t get trapped in this idea that just because you imagined a possibility for yourself that you somehow deserve it.” – David Goggins
89. “Self-talk and visualization are the two keys to my success.” – David Goggins
90. “In this life, we’re either getting better or we’re getting worse.” – David Goggins
91. “We are all guilty of allowing so-called experts, or just people who have more experience in a given field than we do, to cap our potential.” – David Goggins
92. “In this life there are countless trails to self-realization, though most demand intense discipline, so very few take them.” – David Goggins
93. “To exist in this world, we must contend with humiliation, broken dreams, sadness, and loss. That’s just nature. Each specific life comes with its own personalized portion of pain. It’s coming for you. You can’t stop it. And you know it.” – David Goggins
94. “We live a life defined by the limits we imagine and desire for ourselves because it’s comfortable as hell in that box.” – David Goggins
95. “We all need to start looking at obstacles very differently in life. Obstacles are purely hidden opportunities.” – David Goggins
96. “You have to learn to be the person who really doesn’t care if it is 70 and sunny or 20 and windy. You just don’t care and continue moving forward. The obstacle is the opportunity if you are willing to see it that way. Stay hard!” – David Goggins
97. “There is so much poison that people are feeding people’s minds these days. People want to see you lesser than them. A lot of people want to see you on your back. Be careful who you listen to in this world- they may very well be the infection that keeps your brain sedentary.” – David Goggins
98. “In life, when you miss the shot that can tie the game, before you put your head down, look at the scoreboard because I bet you still have time in the game. And in this game of life, anything can happen at any given second that can turn the tide in that game!” – David Goggins
99. “The Spartans were masters of pain. They knew how to embrace it and push through it. They didn’t just endure pain, they welcomed it. That’s what made them so powerful.” – David Goggins
100. “Taking souls all day everyday.” – David Goggins
101. “I seem to annoy people just by doing me. Well, guess what? A lot of people annoy the hell out of me by not working to their full potential, being lazy and making excuses for their lot in life.” – David Goggins
102. “When you make excuses, you’re running from the truth.” – David Goggins
103. “The only way we can change is to be real with ourselves.” – David Goggins
104. “Be uncommon amongst uncommon people.” – David Goggins
105. “It’s a lot more than mind over matter. It takes relentless self-discipline to schedule suffering into your day, every day.” – David Goggins
106. “Analyze your schedule, kill your empty habits, burn out the bulls**t, and see what’s left.” – David Goggins
107. “Don’t let your body or mind do exactly what it wants to do. Take control.” – David Goggins
108. “Greatness pulls mediocrity into the fu****g mud.” – David Goggins
109. “Find strength in the misery, cause you can get a lot of power in misery.” – David Goggins
110. “Stay Hard!” – David Goggins
Bonus David Goggins Quote
Bonus: Alright, here is our last David Goggins quote that we want to leave you with. It’s a painful truth, but we all need to hear it, and never forget it….
“You Don’t Get Better On The Daggum Couch.”
– David goggins –
Related: David Goggins Net Worth
Final Thoughts
We hope you enjoyed this collection of motivating David Goggins quotes. If any of them inspired you, please share the page or the quote with someone whom you think could use a friendly nudge from David Goggins to step up their game.
With that said, we hope these quotes help you follow Goggins’ lead to keep your mind strong and stay hard!
Till you reach your aims,
STRIVE
PS – If you enjoyed these David Goggins quotes, you may enjoy this inspiring David Goggins Story of Success.
