TUESDAY TOOLS: U.S. Navy SEALs, The 4-Key Forces that Killed Osama Bin Laden

One Saturday morning, in the Spring of 2010, my channel hopping led me to the History Channel. The program was a documentary, The Brain.  The subject was stress control techniques for United States Navy SEALs (SEa, Air, Land) during Hell Week.  Chuck Pfarrer, a former Navy SEAL, showcased how the passing rates increased from 25% to 33% by using these Tuesday Tools that helped eliminate Public Enemy #1, Osama Bin Laden (OBL):

1. GOAL SETTING

1.1 Short-Term Goal -- Find OBL in the compound.

1.2 Mid-Term Goal (Best-Case Scenario) -- Ask OBL to surrender, and bring him to a military jail.

1.3 Long-Term Goal (Worst-Case Scenario) -- Kill OBL and anyone who obstructs justice. Unfortunately, he used two of his three wives as a shield.

2. MENTAL REHEARSAL

2.1 Envision the Best-Case Scenario, e.g., Walk onto the compound. Ask for the location of OBL. Go to his room. Ask OBL to surrender. Arrest him, and bring him to a military jail.

2.2 Prepare for the Worst-Case Scenario because you only have a split second to kill him, if he fails to surrender. They shoot. We shoot. They die.

3. POSITIVE SELF-TALK

3.1 "I am a well-trained, U.S  Navy SEAL. I have all my equipment. I have all my team. I have my eye on my target. Oorah!  Let's get down."

4. AROUSAL CONTROL

4.1 Breathe.  Focus.  Keep my brain in a path of recall from simulation to realization.  Since I've practiced this attack, my brain will support me.  I already know exactly what this may sound like and look like.  I know what to do.  So, my brain will go straight to the hippocampus for memory, then the cerebral cortex for performance.  I will pass this test.

In the historic words of President Barack Obama, "Justice has been done."

No U.S. Navy SEAL became a casualty because the attack was as flawless as the choreography in Black Swan.

In civilian life, you don't need every tool, every time.  In most cases, you may only need to use two of them.  For example, if you are multitasking, GOAL SETTING is manditory for each task. Next, POSITIVE SELF-TALK your way to each step towards your finish line. 

How do you perform like a Navy SEAL throughout your day?