What I Learned at the SEALFit 20x

I read Retired Navy SEAL Commander Mark Divine's book, "The Way Of The SEAL" in 2014. I had read many books by Navy SEALs, and most were about the challenges of SEAL training (BUD/S), secret missions, blowing stuff up, and shooting bad guys. Commander Divine's book was different!

I had always been fascinated by these elite warriors, not because I wanted to be one, but because only about 15% make it through the training. You may think that the 15% are bigger, stronger, and faster than the others, but what I discovered is it's the power of their minds that set these men apart.

I thought this mindset was something we are born with (or not), but in the WOS Commander Divine teaches these mindset techniques, building what he calls an "Unbeatable Mind" in the process.

I thought "WOW"!! If I can learn what Commander Divine is teaching how will it make my own life different? So I read other books by the Commander, participated in his online Unbeatable Mind Academy, and implemented the practices.

It made such an impact on my life that in 2020 I got certified as an Unbeatable Mind Coach so I could help others achieve the same transformations I'd seen in my own life.

After completing the certification, I decided to participate in one of Commander Divine's events, the SEALFit 20x. It was an experience that I will never forget.

The SEALFit 20x

If you are not familiar with the 20x, it is a rigorous, physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging program that is designed to push individuals to their limits. The premise of the 20x is you are capable of doing 20 times more than you think you are.

It was designed by Commander Divine and his team to help participants develop the mental toughness and physical resilience needed to succeed in high-stress, high-stakes environments. It's 12 to 14 hours long and the instructors are either current or former SEALs and Special Operators.

I learned so many lessons at the 20x, I'm still processing all of them six months later. There are three lessons, however, that I'd like to share with you today:

1. Have a strong Why
2. The Big 4 of Mental Toughness works
3. You really are capable of achieving 20 times (20x) more than you think you are

Have a Strong Why

Just like anything you do in life, you need a strong "why". Friedrich Nietzsche said, "He who has a strong enough why can bear almost any how". Why are you doing what you are doing? If you have a strong enough "why", when things get tough you'll press through.

More than once during the 20x, I asked myself, "Why are you doing this? What the Hell are you doing here?". In those moments of weakness, it would have been easy to throw in the towel and quit. But when that question raised its ugly head, I had an answer!

My why was to show my kids what they could do with hard work and determination, to meet a new version of myself, and to test my mental and emotional resiliency based on my training.

When the question came up in my mind, I answered it, smiled, and kept going!

If you are going to do a SEALFit 20x, or anything else in life, make sure you have a strong why!

The Big 4 of Mental Toughness Works

The Big 4 of Mental Toughness are skills that you can learn to master your mindset. They are:

1. Breath Control
2. Self-Talk
3. Visualization
4. Micro goals

Breath control helps you to stay calm and focused under pressure; self-talk allows you to reframe negative thoughts and maintain a positive attitude; visualization helps you to see yourself succeeding in your mind; and micro-goals allow you to break down a larger goal into smaller, more manageable chunks. I use these skills on a daily basis for just about everything.

We think about "Mental Toughness" being something we need to get through an event like the 20x, and it is. However, I have used these skills to help my daughter paint her bedroom, cook dinner, train in Brazilian Jiujitsu, etc. You name it! The 20x however, put these skills into practice in a high-stakes environment.

When things got really tough and I could feel myself getting frustrated or thinking I couldn't make it, I began to control my breath, which helped me to relax and control my thoughts.

Once I had control of my thoughts, I could change my inner self-talk from negative to positive.

After I had my thoughts under control I could visualize success. I would see myself excelling and crushing the task at hand. I visualized securing the event and celebrating with my teammates.

Finally, I was able to focus on the task at hand. At one point the team had to do 30 burpees. The burpee is a six-count exercise and I was to a point where I didn't know if I could do 30 burpees or even one for that matter. So I began to focus on each movement and before you know it we had completed 30 full burpees.

You Really Are Capable of 20x

There we were, laying face down in the dirt on the SEALFit Grinder in Temecula, CA. My friend Matthew looked over at me and said, "Craig, I don't know how I'm going to do a Murph!". My response was, "Yeah, me either".

If you don't know what a Murph is, it's:

• 1-mile run
• 100 pull-ups
• 200 pushups
• 300 air squats
• 1-mile run

We had already been through six hours of the most grueling physical training I'd ever imagined. This included a PT session first thing that morning, the Physical Standards Test (PST), and a log PT practice session using a sandbag that by itself was the hardest thing I'd ever done. Not to mention all the "fun" little evolutions the instructors had us do in between. We knew the Murph was coming!

Matthew and I picked ourselves up out of the dirt, brushed ourselves off, and had lunch. Afterward, we started the Murph.

Using the Big 4 and standing on my "why", we not only did the Murph, but we made it through the remainder of the 20x which included about 4 more hours of debilitating physical training.

It completely changed my perspective on what I am capable of. When I got home from the 20x the big challenges I faced no longer seemed that big! I realize now that we truly are capable of doing 20 times more than we think we are.

Conclusion

My experience at SEALFIT 20x was a life-changing experience. It taught me that with a strong "why" and the right mindset, I can accomplish anything. And that I am truly capable of doing 20 times more than I ever thought possible.

I would highly recommend SEALFIT 20x to anyone looking to transform themselves, both physically and mentally. It's an experience that you'll never forget. Feel free to reach out to me if you have questions about the event or my experience.