David has a few classic quotes that echo around our family—lines that make us laugh every time we say them. My personal favorite is from a short video where he’s mid-rep, throwing up a bunch of weight and pushing himself through what looks like pure pain. To motivate himself, he growls:
“Who’s gonna carry the boats… and the logs?!”
If you know, you know.
It’s a reference to his time as a Navy SEAL and the grueling training of BUD/S, where they literally carry boats and logs as part of the regimen. It’s become a running joke in our house. Whenever someone’s slacking on the dishes or dodging chores, someone inevitably throws out:
“Who’s gonna carry the boats?!”
We all crack up. But we also know what it really means.
Because behind the bravado and the grit, David Goggins’ story is something that inspires. He knows what it means to suffer on purpose. To choose pain and discomfort to grow stronger—not just in body, but in mind.
Here’s a quote from Goggins on a recent Joe Rogan Experience episode:
“We change everything.
We change our car.
We change our house.
Sometimes we change our spouse.
We change our underwear.
We change everything in our lives.
We change our hair.
We change how we look—we change everything.
But very few of us change how we think.
You are not going to evolve if you continue to think the same way.”
True that.
Because what he’s saying is simple: We change what’s easy. Rarely do we change what’s hard. We’ll rearrange everything around us, but leave our core mindset untouched. And yet, that’s where the real growth lives.
Most of our lives are designed around avoiding discomfort. And if you’re reading this, chances are you’re a CEO, business owner, or executive leader. Which means—ironically—you don’t have the luxury of avoiding the hard things. You live with “the suck” every day: hard decisions, the weight of people management, the isolation of being at the top, the unrelenting complexity of leading.
So here’s the question:
Where do you go to get your mind right?
Where do you go to think differently? To be different?
You can change your logo. You can change your office space. You can hire a new exec team or update your morning routine. And you should. But none of that will help you when “the suck” shows up.
And it always does.
The apostle Paul said it like this:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2)
That’s why Acumen exists. Not just to challenge your business decisions—but to challenge your thinking – to renew your mind. To be the place you go to “carry the boats and the logs.” Because leadership doesn’t get easier. But your mind can get stronger. And when it does, everything changes. If you're ready to build a rhythm of sharpening, renewal, and transformation—join us