Larry Connors Talks To Richard J. Machowicz, Part 2
Connors: And the third question is…
Machowicz: Do you have the guts to finish? Do you have the guts to succeed at the mission you set out to achieve? Do you know what the only common characteristic there is amongst the thousands of people who haven’t made it through Hell Week? They quit.
Connors: So the things that you’re teaching here are not just appropriate for Navy SEALs, they are appropriate for any walk of life, no matter what you’re doing.
Machowicz: That’s absolutely correct.
Connors: You’ve obviously been around extremely successful achievement-oriented people who have achieved extreme levels of success in their field, including your teammates in the SEALs. I’ve read that from application time to the finish of BUD/S only one in 6000 get through the process. So these are people who are executing at a level in life beyond what most people can comprehend. You also work directly with individuals who are professional athletes, top names in the entertainment industry and some very successful businessmen. If you could state a single characteristic, a common theme, what would it be for their success?
Machowicz: A very clear target and perseverance.
When I look at the guys I’ve worked with that have been successful, the one thing I see consistently is the commitment to finish. Yes, they were willing to make a choice, they had the courage to start, but the thing that made the difference, was the commitment to the finish no matter what. Even if they were going to finish dead last, they were going to finish. I think that’s the big thing. People do not finish what they start. A lot of people will start things but never see it through to the end.
Connors: These guys pick a target and are always moving forward to that target. Is that correct?
Machowicz: Absolutely. If you’re at least going forward to the target, you’re always moving forward in your world. And that’s the most important thing. You have one life. You’ve got to play it full out. If you play it half-assed, if you play it partially, I’m telling you, on your deathbed, you’ll be wondering why you ever were born.
Connors: Going back to the SEALs, had that become the mind frame? You’d be killed, you’d be out immediately…
Machowicz: Oh yeah, I mean what happens is — Vince Lombardi had a great quote, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” Literally, what happens with BUD/s, you will have work that will have mentally and physically fatigued you to the point where you only have to blink for a second, when you’re on your third or fourth day of Hell Week, and you’re freezing cold and you’re miserable and you just saw three other people quit. You only have to have one moment… it only takes you 30 seconds to quit, and you’ve destroyed all that time that you’ve put in. You lose sight of the target and it is over.
One of the things I did early during Hell Week was I would say, “Well, I made it through one evolution, I can make it through one more. I made it through two. I can make it through one more. I made it through three, I can make it through one more. If I made it through four evolutions, I can make it through one more. If I made it through four, I could probably do another four. If I did eight, I could probably do another eight. Oh, I’ve got one day down, let me try another day. I got two days down, I bet I can do one more day. I got three days down. You know what? I know I can do three more days.”
Just let it go. And next thing you know, you start building this motor of momentum, this engine of momentum that just keeps driving you forward, keeps driving you forward, keeps driving you forward. Because I’m telling you, that conversation is not a conversation you’re going away from. That is a conversation of moving forward. And moving forward toward a target that you set for yourself and refusing to quit. People say, “refuse to lose.” I say “refuse to quit.” Recognize the dialogue that leads to quitting and you won’t have to worry about losing.
Connors: Paul “Bear” Bryant’s famous quote, “The first time you quit it’s hard, the second time is a little easier and the third time you quit, you don’t even have to think about it.“
Machowicz: Perfect.
Connors: You talk about this in your book. Act as though it is impossible to fail.
Machowicz: Act as though it is impossible to fail. If you are doing these things, if you are clearly on your target, if you are persistent and committed to finishing and you are really committed to results vs. reason, you will succeed. Success is not some magic mystery out there. It is clear connection to the target.
Connors: Let me go back and ask you a question regarding chaos. During your combat missions, your life was very much on the line. If something goes wrong — you’re dead. How do you eliminate the stress of that knowledge?
Machowicz: Stay focused only on the target, that’s how!
Connors: And they teach you that in the SEALs? They teach you how to…
Machowicz: It’s not even “teach,” it’s just “stay focused.” What is the target? You may have to ask yourself that moment to moment. What do I have to do now? What’s the target now? This moment, this moment, this moment…
Always come back to the target. I can’t stress that strongly enough. I don’t care what’s happening…the universe could be falling apart around you. As long as you keep going, “What’s the target? What do I have to do right now? What’s the target right this second?” The results will take care of themselves. And to the outside world it will look like nothing ever phases you.
Connors: Summarize your message to us.
Machowicz: Intense focus on hitting the target and never quitting. It worked for me in my 10 years with the Navy SEALs, it works for the professional athletes I work with and it works for the other very successful people I work with. Live with the mind frame, “Not dead. Can’t quit.”
Connors: Thanks, Richard. This was great.