A few weeks ago, I rented a NAVY Seals training documentary from Netflix. First of all, it was one of the best documentaries I’ve seen in a while and I highly recommend you rent it if you have Netflix.
One of the big lessons I got out of it was a phrase they said over and over… “it pays to be a winner”
Whenever the SEAL instructors put the guys through grueling workouts they always made it a competition – and the team that won got a 5-10 minute break while every other team had to do more excruciating work…
Throughout the film you could see this drilled into their head over and over. The potential SEALS were taught that second place is worthless – it’s the same as coming in last.
After watching I couldn’t help but relate a lot of this to Seth Godin’s book The Dip.
Seth says that there’s no reason anymore to be the #5 general grocery store in the world. You’re better off being the #1 organic grocery store.
Nobody wants the 5th best dentist in your town, they want the best dentist in your town.
And when it comes to our industry the same holds true. No affiliate wants to promote the 5th best offer on Clickbank. They want the highest converting product that pays out the most per sale.
The difference between being 5th and first is drastic. It could mean hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for a publisher.
One of his quotes sums this up really well…
… the real success goes to those who obsess. The focus that leads you through the Dip to the other side is rewarded by a marketplace in search of the best in the world.
and then he has this gem…
The most common response to the Dip is to play it safe. To do ordinary work, blameless work, work that’s beyond reproach. When faced with the Dip, most people suck it up and try to average their way to success.
Settling is easy. Anyone can do it…
It pays to be a winner.
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What was the documentary?
Navy Seals: BUDs Class 234
Here’s the direct Netflix link:
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Navy_Seals_BUDs_Class_234/70019854?strackid=7102f10f5d3b20a2_1_srl&strkid=687155445_1_0&trkid=222336
I put it on my queue. I think I caught this at one point a while ago back when it was TV, at least 1 part of it. If it’s the same one I remember, there was one drill that was on the beach with this huge log, they were split into teams, and everyone in that team, about 4-5, had to hold up a log together and carry it a bit. Some guys would get tired and start dropping their end. Interesting seeing the reactions of the teams that got through and the teams that had to repeat over and over again. Some would just stay quiet when 1 guy would start slacking, other teams would all start giving up, and others started encouraging the guy positively to keep it going.
I am not sure why this is sticking in my mind right now, but it does pay to be a winner!
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