 I've recently returned home from Cleveland, Ohio after an unbelievable 26 hour Navy SEAL training experience. My goal going in was to leave my comfort zone, do the best I was capable of, enjoy the experience, embrace the opportunity, and learn valuable life lessons, and I'm proud to say I accomplished all five. Here are the 22 most valuable lessons I learned from my Navy SEAL's training experience. Lesson one, slow as smooth and smooth as fast. Take your time, be precise, pay attention to details. Rushing only increases the chance of mistakes. Lesson two, do everything with purpose. Don't do things just for the sake of doing them. Lesson three, trust systems and processes. They will consistently lead to the most favorable outcomes in the long term. Lesson four, always have a plan, but always expect adversity. Lesson five, when it comes to the most effective training, you need to crawl, walk, then run. Start with ideal conditions to set the standard. When intentionally integrate in challenge and adversity, then learn to block out all distractions and things outside of your control. Lesson six, focus on what is right in front of you at this moment. You can't get to hour 26 until you get through hour one. Lesson seven, don't fight the water. It's a fight you can't win. Water is the great equalizer. When you find yourself submerged in water, the worst thing you can do is panic and flail. You need to stay calm. You need to breathe. The same is true in life. Don't fight reality. Learn to accept what is. Fighting reality is something you'll lose 100% of the time. Lesson eight, great leaders also know how to follow. Lesson nine, anticipation is usually worse than reality. There's no sense in worrying about something that hasn't happened yet and may not happen at all. Don't believe everything you think. Lesson 10, when you're struggling, look outside of yourself and put your focus on serving someone else or pouring into a teammate. Take the focus off of me and put it on we. Lesson 11, if it isn't written, it isn't real. If something's important, you have to write it down. Lesson 12, the three most important questions a leader can ask their team is who are we? What do we do and how do we do it? This covers your identity, your purpose, and your strategy. Lesson 13, one is zero and two is one. Don't go at anything alone. Always make sure you involve a teammate. Lesson 14, 200 divided by one versus 200 divided by five. Lifting and carrying a 200 pound log by yourself isn't manageable. The five people working together, each carrying approximately 50 pounds of that log, makes it doable. Lesson 15, aim to work smarter, not harder. Brains will be brawn in the long term every time. Lesson 16, you can't be anywhere other than where you are right now in this moment. The more you resist that, the more you suffer. Lesson 17, effective communication is clear and concise. Ambiguity and complexity create confusion. Lesson 18, effective communication also has cadence and candor. Consistency and compassion increases compliance. Lesson 19, even elite leaders don't have all of the answers, but they do have the humility to seek them out, to ask for help, ask for guidance, and ask for support. Lesson 20, strong teams use adversity to increase cohesion. Weak teams use adversity to erode it. Lesson 21, when you feel strong, lend a hand to a teammate. When you feel weak, reach out to a teammate. No one should go at this alone. In Lesson 22, you often have to make decisions with imperfect information. Do the best you can with what you have where you are. Don't waste time waiting for things to be perfect. As impactful as those 22 life lessons were, the most powerful lesson I got from my Navy Seal training experience was a stark reminder of how much gratitude and appreciation we all need to show those that have served and continue to serve in our armed forces. The sacrifices and commitments they've made is unparalleled, so I thank you.