The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday
WMMM #051 - This week, I share a personal confession, its implication on my psyche, and why.
Jeff Keplar Newsletter January 27, 2024 4 min read
I slept in.
I felt a little extra tired, so I went to bed and immediately passed out.
When my alarm went off the next morning, I turned it off, rolled over, and went back to sleep.
Debbie had jury duty and was up and gone before I awoke.
My body was telling me something, and I had given it the rest it required.
So what’s the big deal?
Guilt
It was a strange experience for me.
My initial thought was gratitude. How lucky I was not to have missed any commitments.
Late morning was my first calendar entry of the day.
But gratitude quickly turned into guilt.
I have not had the luxury of rolling over for most of my adult life.
I felt guilty.
Whom might I be letting down by giving in?
The answer to this question is the heart of this week’s edition of Win More, Make More.
Accountability
It’s been an honor to work and live in a culture of high expectations for a long time.
We killed ourselves to live up to them, to be the best.
It’s not like I had no say in it.
Much of it was my own doing, as alluded to in The VarTec Story a couple of weeks ago.
The pursuit of excellence is just that: a pursuit.
It never allows us to reach our goal; it’s a journey without a destination.
The idea was to push one another to be the best we could be.
Continually raise the bar for our expectations of ourselves and for each other.
Hold one another accountable.
On Time, On Target, Never Quit!
Commando Operation in the Red Sea Takes the Lives of Navy SEALs
Two members of the Navy SEALs lost their lives this month in a nighttime commando operation off the coast of Somalia.
The mission seized Iran-made ballistic missiles bound for Yemen.
It was the first such seizure by U.S. forces of Iran-supplied weapons to the Houthis since Iran-backed militants launched the first of more than 30 attacks in November against commercial vessels operating in the Red Sea.
The pair were climbing aboard an enemy vessel when high waves knocked one into the sea.
The second SEAL, following protocol, jumped in to help his comrade, and they both vanished.
The Most Elite Fighting Force in the World
Losing Navy SEALs at sea during an operation is extremely rare.
It has only happened a few times in their storied 60-year history.
The Navy SEALs are widely known as the most elite fighting force in the world.
Becoming a SEAL requires attaining levels of excellence of mind, body, and spirit that few humans do.
The U.S. military is estimated to invest over $2 million before producing a SEAL.
SEAL training is extremely rigorous, with attrition rates of around 80%.
Before being considered for admission into the training program to become a Navy SEAL, a candidate must pass a series of mental and physical tests.
36 months to a Deployable Navy Enlisted Classification Combat Swimmer (SEAL)
Once admitted, the average candidate spends over a year in formal training courses.
If they pass each course - every course requires the candidate to pass to proceed to the next - they are awarded the Special Warfare Operator Naval Rating and Navy Enlisted Classification Combat Swimmer (SEAL).
Each is assigned to a SEAL Team upon graduation and begins 18 months of pre-deployment training.
Depending on each SEAL’s chosen area of specialization, another 12-18 months of training is required.
In total, it can take up to 4 years to thoroughly train a Navy SEAL for their first deployment.
Beyond the Limits of Human Comprehension
A Navy SEAL is indeed one of the best examples of what is possible for one to accomplish.
If we are pursuing excellence, few examples are better than SEAL training.
Mourning the recent loss of two of our country’s finest, I humbly connect our pursuit of excellence to famous sayings from SEAL Training:
The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday
Seeking excellence. The constant pursuit of perfection, never achieved, brings no easy days, so don’t expect one.
Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
Push the boundaries of our comfort zones. When we get outside, that’s where the magic happens.
Embrace the Pain. Positive Mental Attitude.
“Pain is weakness leaving the body.” Embrace mental and physical change,
I Persevere and Thrive in Adversity
If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, keep moving forward. Resilience becomes part of the culture.
All in, All the Time
Give everything you do everything you’ve got. Mediocrity won’t get the job done.
I Am Never Out of the Fight
We are fond of saying that the selling starts when we get our first “No.”
On Time, On Target, Never Quit
Too Gung Ho?
If our bodies need rest, we should give them rest.
The alternative creates less healthy outcomes.
If I knew I was that fatigued, going to bed earlier the night before is preferable to sleeping in.
The following morning would have been less reactive for me.
As for guilt, I think it’s good to feel guilty when we break a promise we make with ourselves or someone else.
The best environment, the best culture, is when we have a group of individuals:
That share a common goal
Have high expectations for performance
Set lofty behavior standards
Help hold each other accountable.
Excellence becomes a habit, and a slight, seemingly insignificant departure (sleeping in) causes guilt from falling short of expected behavior.
The Next Morning
So what happened the next day?
The alarm goes off, and I’m groggy and a little tired.
Did I roll over and sleep in?
Nope.
Like my team would expect of me, I “rubbed some dirt on the wound” and jumped back into the fight!
Thank you for reading.
Jeff
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