In today’s post, we’ll share some quotes from the legendary David Goggins.
If you’re feeling unmotivated or dragging your tail then David Goggins' wisdom is some of the strong medicine you’ll need to improve the situation.
Before we get to the quotes let's delve into who this man is and why he’s been taking the world by storm for the past couple of years.
Who is David Goggins?
Chances are you’ve heard this man's name mentioned across social media. He’s known for doing nutty physical challenges and pushing himself beyond his limits every day.
He’s a retired Navy SEAL, a public speaker, and an ultra-endurance athlete and his attitude of zero tolerance for excuses have made him a popular figure and an embodiment of what sheer toughness and will can do for your life.
David Goggins is also associated with humanitarian causes, doing long-distance runs to raise money for the children of veterans who’ve fallen in the line of duty.
His life story is one of continually getting up and having another go despite injury or setback (it took him more than one attempt to pass the Navy SEAL selection process called BUD/S, which is up there as one of the most challenging mental and physical trials you can go through).
David Goggins has also released a series of books and audiobooks, which detail more of his life and are chock full of valuable lessons for anyone, these books include:
What makes Mr Goggins such a popular motivational speaker right now?
Apart from his no-nonsense approach of taking life by the horns and being honest with yourself, it’s clear that David Goggins isn’t a genetically gifted one-percenter. He’s faced hardships such as child abuse and health problems like asthma and obesity but forged himself into an elite soldier and a relentless endurance athlete.
55 David Goggins Quotes to Motivate Your Goal Achievement
- “Stay Hard!” – David Goggins
- “If you can get through doing things that you hate to do, on the other side is greatness.” – David Goggins
- “Motivation is crap. Motivation comes and goes. When you’re driven, whatever is in front of you will get destroyed.” – David Goggins
- “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
- “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
- “I don’t stop when I’m tired, I stop when I’m done.” – David Goggins
- “You are in danger of living a life so comfortable and soft that you will die without ever realizing your true potential.” – David Goggins
- “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
- “Only when you identify and accept your weaknesses will you finally stop running from your past.” – David Goggins
- Mental toughness is a lifestyle.” – David Goggins
- “The only person who was going to turn my life around was me. The only way I could get turned around was to put myself through the worst things possible that a human being could ever endure.” – David Goggins
- “It's a lot more than mind over matter. It takes relentless self-discipline to schedule suffering into your day, every day.” – David Goggins
- “There is so much poison that people are feeding people’s minds these days. People want to see you as 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
- “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
- “Always be willing to embrace ignorance, because that is the only way to expand your body of knowledge and body of work. It’s the only way to expand your mind.” – David Goggins
- “Denial is the ultimate comfort zone.” – David Goggins
Denial is the ultimate comfort zone.” – David Goggins
- “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
- “The only thing more contagious than a good attitude is a bad one.” – David Goggins
- “The most important conversations you’ll ever have are the ones you’ll have with yourself.” – David Goggins
- “We all need to start looking at obstacles very differently in life. Obstacles are purely hidden opportunities.” – David Goggins
- “I didn’t hang my head, because injuries happen. I’d given it everything I had and when you handle business like that, your effort will not go unnoticed.” – David Goggins
- “You gotta start your journey. It may suck, but eventually, you will come out the other side on top.” – David Goggins
- “Pain unlocks a secret doorway in the mind, one that leads to both peak performance and beautiful silence.” – David Goggins
- “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
- “Greatness pulls mediocrity into the mud. Get out there and get after it.” – David Goggins
- “You can will yourself to do almost anything you want.” – David Goggins
- “Everyone fails sometimes and life isn’t supposed to be fair, much less bend to your every whim.” – David Goggins
- “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
- “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
- “Tell yourself the truth! That you’ve wasted enough time, and that you have other dreams that will take courage to realise, so you don’t die a f*cking p*ssy.” – David Goggins
- “You must recognize what you are about to do, highlight what you do not like about it, and spend time visualizing each and every obstacle you can.” – David Goggins
You must recognize what you are about to do, highlight what you do not like about it, and spend time visualizing each and every obstacle you can.” – David Goggins
- “In this life there are countless trails to self-realization, though most demand intense discipline, so very few take them.” – David Goggins
- “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
- “Comfort zones: If you live in one too long… that becomes your norm. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.” – David Goggins
- “In this life, we’re either getting better or we’re getting worse.” – David Goggins
- “Nobody cares what you did yesterday. What have you done today to better yourself?” – David Goggins
- “Life is a battle between trying to find more of yourself knowing that the real you is afraid, likes comfort, likes to be patted on the back, and doing what you need to do to get better.” – David Goggins
- “It may be satisfactory, but that's another word for mediocrity.” – David Goggins
- “Self-talk and visualization are the two keys to my success.” – David Goggins
- “I tried to do so many things to fit in. But when you look in the mirror, that’s the one person you can’t lie to.” – David Goggins
- “Don’t limit expectations of yourself and settle for anything less than what you are truly capable of achieving.” – David Goggins
- “Breaking the shackles and stretching beyond our own perceived limits takes hard fucking work—oftentimes physical work—and when you put yourself on the line, self doubt and pain will greet you with a stinging combination that will buckle your knees.” – David Goggins
- “In life, there is no gift as overlooked or inevitable as failure.” – David Goggins
- “You have to be willing to go to war with yourself and create a whole new identity.” – David Goggins
- “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
- “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
- “Back in the day, what motivated me was overcoming myself. Now I believe in being a leader. I’ve done it all – I’m good. Now, it’s about setting an example for others to follow. I can’t just talk it – I have to live it.” – David Goggins
- “You want to be uncommon amongst uncommon people. Period.” – David Goggins
- “The Buddha famously said that life is suffering. I’m not a Buddhist, but I know what he meant and so do you. To exist in this world, we must contend with humiliation, broken dreams, sadness, and loss. That’s just nature.” – David Goggins
- “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
- “It’s so easy to be great these days because everyone else is so weak.” – David Goggins
It’s so easy to be great these days because everyone else is so weak.” – David Goggins
- “We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.” – David Goggins
- “In every failure, there is something to be gained, even if it’s only practice for the next test you’ll have to take. Because that next test is coming. That’s a guarantee.” – David Goggins
- “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
- “If you’re willing to suffer, and I mean suffer, your brain and body once connected together, can do anything.” – David Goggins
Final Thoughts on David Goggins Quotes
It’s hard not to feel ready to conquer a mountain after listening to David Goggins for any length of time. However, his key message is that drive has to be maintained, you can’t falter and you have to relentlessly push to achieve your dreams.
For more about success and beating the odds check out these 51 successful people who didn’t go to or finish college.
And if you want more motivational quotes, be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 65 Weight Loss Motivational Quotes to Never Give Up on Your Diet
- 55 Motivational Exercise Quotes to Inspire Your Next Workout
- 73 Quotes About Life to Inspire & Motivate You Throughout the Day
Finally, if you want to use these quotes to make a lasting change to your life, then watch this free video that details the 7-minute habit for planning your day to focus on what's truly important to you..
Tom Smith is a creative writer with over 6 years of professional experience. He discovered the joy of writing after covering some furniture in his childhood home with graffiti. In later years, he got himself a BA in creative writing and hasn’t looked back. After discovering the power of positive thinking and discovering the spiritual side of life, he believes it's a huge privilege to be able to write about all things personal development.