SELF-EFFICACY AND NAVY SEALS

Recently, Kara (my wife) surprised me by having a copy of Howard Wasdin’s new book “Seal Team Six’ sent to me from Amazon. I put the book on my “wish list” at Amazon right after the successful Bin Laden operation and Kara was “sweet” enough to have it sent to me. Howard Wasdin (a former Navy Seal sniper on Seal Team Six) was scheduled to release his book this spring and the Bin Laden mission catapulted his book to an instant best-seller. Talk about great timing!

In the book when Mr. Wasdin relates his experience during BUD/S training, he briefly mentions self-efficacy. He states that the only thing that kept them going during Hell Week was their own personal belief in accomplishing the mission. The definition of self-efficacy is a person’s belief in his or her ability to succeed in a particular situation. Mr. Wasdin goes on to talk about how the strength of their belief in being able to accomplish the mission is the difference between success and failure. Given the fact that BUD/S training is by far the most arduous and difficult of any program known to man, and the fact that Navy Seals are well known as being the “baddest of the bad-asses”, we can all learn from his insight. Mr. Wasdin also points out that this strong belief makes it easier to focus and persist by breaking the overall goal down to smaller, more manageable objectives. Mr. Wasdin also mentions the need to focus on the present and not to waste your energy on what has already happened or what may happen in the future. In our coaching programs (www.championsofpowerfulliving.com), we cover all of these points through goal setting, having a strong belief in yourself, identifying and taking advantage of your strengths and focusing on action plans. In fact, some of the key benefits we can provide you with our coaching programs are remarkably similar to the points Mr. Wasdin refers to regarding self-efficacy:

• Help you identify your goals (your desired results) and recognize potential challenges
• Develop key action plans for achieving your goals and maximizing your chances of success
• Keep you motivated and focused on performance results
• Build your self-confidence and overall self-esteem
• Support you in celebrating life and building upon your successes

We also stress the importance of changing your behaviors and developing better habits on your path to accomplishing your goals and living your best life.

Although, most of us will not have to endure the Navy Seals BUD/S training (thank God), developing a positive mind-set and attitude similar to a Navy Seal is certainly something we should strive to attain. How many more goals would you accomplish and how much better would your life be if you always had a strong belief in your ability to succeed in any situation? The next time you find yourself discouraged or facing a challenging situation, think about the Navy Seals and Self-efficacy to push yourself through to that next level of success. Good Luck!