Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within

For first responders, this term refers to a gruesome but not life-threatening bodily injury that can mask a less obvious but more serious condition. Goggins refers to old emotional wounds as distracting injuries as well. For example, he was once so focused on his childhood abuse and the racist taunts of his past that he did not recognize the mental strengthening he needed to do. This concept introduces the theme of Personal Accountability and Fault, as Goggins was the victim of undeserved trauma but chose to take back control of his own life.

Goggins uses the word evolution in two distinct ways. First, Goggins terms the reader’s assignments “Evolutions,” invoking the military definition of drills that hone skills. The use of military terminology supports his description of the book as a boot camp, signifying tough challenges and big results. Flashbacks also use the military definition, as when Goggins describes dropping out of Air Force Pararescue school because of difficult water evolutions. However, Goggins often speaks of personal transformations—both his and the reader’s—as evolutions. He stresses that such improvements are a lifelong task, saying that “there is always another evolution, another skin to shed, a better or deeper version of ourselves waiting to be revealed” (125).

In combat, a foxhole is a small defensive shelter for soldiers. Goggins uses the term as a metaphor for a person’s “inner circle” of friends and family, and he urges the reader to have a selection process. He warns against letting family ties or long friendships be qualifications for foxhole entry, as many old acquaintances may want to maintain the status quo. The influence of naysayers can threaten the discipline involved in self-transformation, so a foxhole should contain only people who understand and support the sacrifice required to fulfill a dream. Otherwise, there may be times when one needs to fight alone.

The process of self-betterment that Goggins advocates is never-ending, meaning it requires humility. Humility reminds one that there is always more to learn and more ways to improve, no matter one’s successes. Likewise, Goggins calls humility “the antidote to self-pity” (150), allowing every experience—even tough ones—to be a stepping stone. He also stresses the importance of staying humble and maintaining situational awareness even in times of ease because of life’s many pitfalls.

Goggins challenges the idea that a position of authority indicates leadership. For Goggins, a leader sets an example that inspires others to demand more from themselves. For example, a leader always exerts maximum effort regardless of prescribed standards, raising expectations for everyone around them. Moreover, rather than needing to be the best at something, a leader exhibits the resilience needed to push through failures and difficulties. Goggins’s definition of leadership also supports the theme of personal accountability, as he argues that real leaders take responsibility for what happens on their watch rather than pointing fingers.

Goggins uses the metaphor of a laboratory to explain his mental process of transforming all emotions and experiences into motivation and strength. This supports the theme of Using Everything, as he argues that even pain and failure can be raw materials for self-betterment if properly processed. The Mental Lab also illustrates how Goggins conceptualizes mental versus physical strength. He explains that he invented his Mental Lab when he was preparing for Navy SEAL training. Although he was overweight, he knew his biggest problems were in his mind, so this was what he focused on: “In my Lab, each physical workout became a test of my mental fortitude” (69). He argues that everyone has a Mental Lab for self-transformation and stresses that the work never ends.

This phrase refers to what Goggins calls “the surprise ‘gifts’ life has wrapped up, just waiting for you to stumble into” (54). He defines it in Chapter 2, when he needs his heart shocked (the day after Christmas) just hours after learning his first book is a bestseller. The phrase stresses the need to build and maintain resilience, even in times of ease, because pitfalls are inevitable. The scare quotes he uses around “gift” imply sarcasm, but in his ideology, challenges are indeed beneficial if used for growth. For example, when his first Moab race involves medical and navigational snafus, he says he “ha[s] been gifted another rare opportunity to test [himself] in adverse conditions and become more” (171).

The One-Second Decision is an exercise in regaining self-control during moments of panic. Goggins argues that it is easy to kill a dream when in fight or flight mode. However, quitting while suffering is not a decision but a reaction, so Goggins emphasizes winning the difficult seconds. This requires gaining enough self-composure to see past pain and envision the consequences of giving up. Immediate comfort can be a big temptation, but the real result of quitting can be regret.

Goggins defines resilience as finding strength where it does not exist. Resilience is choosing to move forward even when it seems impossible. With enough practice, collected moments of resilience form a deep belief that forward momentum is always possible. However, Goggins warns that resilience must constantly be used or its effects will fade. Resilience is key to the theme of mental versus physical strength, as Goggins repeatedly credits his mind for physical feats of which his body did not seem capable.