When you’re going through it, a lot of “self-improvement” stuff can feel like background noise.
That’s why Jocko Willink’s short video, “GOOD,” lands the way it does (for me).
He’s not telling you to slap a smile on a bad day. He’s saying the opposite: when something goes wrong, call it what it is, then use it. Bad news means there’s something to fix, something to learn, and a chance to get tougher.
If you’ve been feeling drained, frustrated, or like you’re slipping behind, this is the kind of quick gut-check that helps you reset and move. Here’s the video.
At first, Jocko’s message can come across as a little harsh, even kind of condescending, like he’s brushing off whatever you’re dealing with. But the more I sit with it, the more it makes sense.
He isn’t saying the situation is good. He’s saying there’s something good you can do with it. That shift matters, because it pulls you out of complaining mode and back into decision mode.
You do not have to love the setback, but you can stop letting it run the show.
I’m curious what you thought. What was your biggest takeaway from the video, and did it motivate you or annoy you? Leave a comment and let me know.
Thats the perfect mindset and one I use too.Life experiences are happy ones or lessons.Either way we move forward.The worse thing is to be in a rut.
And even Happy Ones can also be lessons! Thanks for stopping by Dr. Amrita!
Overall, the message is a good one. I agree we need to not let something not going as expected derail us. But I also think we need to take time to acknowledge our emotions of disappointment, being scared, or even being uncertain. Acknowledge, then we need to get back at it. Pushing through without taking time to acknowledge feelings can cause us more issues in the future. Let’s balance the good in the problem/failure showing and acknowledging our experiences in the process.
There are all types of people… Obviously, he is not for you, Kim. And, in some cases, he is not for me either! Reflection is very helpful and sometimes talking it out is helpful.
On the other hand, I know there have been times for me, where I just needed to “snap out of it” and get crackin’.
To be honest, it annoys me more than it motivates me. I understand the message, but the moment I want to talk to someone about what’s going wrong, I don’t want to hear “good”.
“Sorry to hear that, how can we fix it” – to me that sounds much more empathic and supporting.
As I mentioned above to Kimberly, taking time to talk things out can be helpful – different solutions for different situations.
I have mixed feelings about his comments. I think it can apply to a lot of different situations. However, I was in the blood cancer field for many years, and those patients go through hell. Constant relapses, transplants, transfusions, surgery, etc. I could not imagine saying “good” to the parents of a 3-year-old or “good” to a 28-year-old who is not going to make it. I think it applies to ourselves, but maybe not saying it to others going through difficult times. Hugs are better. 🙂
As in Patricia’s comment, I can see where “good” wouldn’t be the ideal word to use in certain cases. However in everyday “normal” things, I like it. I did something similar with my grandson years back when he was going through a rough spot in his life and heading down the wrong road. I didn’t actually say good, but I would say, “this is a good thing and now you have to decide and keep going down the right road”. Fast forward 8 years and he is now a successful business owner.
The message is every cloud has a silver lining. It is also my philosophy. However, the video and how he talks grates me.