Success is Not Final, Failure is Not Fatal: The Courage to Continue

In the world of training, we often focus on success—how to achieve it, how to hold onto it, and how to push past our limits to reach it. But the truth is, success isn’t the finish line. It’s just a marker along the way.

Winston Churchill once said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” That’s the mindset we need to adopt if we’re going to break through barriers and reach our true potential.

When I failed out of BUDS Navy SEAL training for a diving physics math test – I saw myself as a complete failure. I had put everything on the line and still came up short. But through the failure I saw that my whole life had improved by just getting out there and give it a go. Yes; I failed on the first time but I picked myself up and started back training the very next week. I really wanted to train smart and find a way to win.

Success is Not Final

You train hard, sweat through every workout, and finally hit a milestone. Maybe you’ve completed your first marathon, nailed that max lift, or conquered a mental challenge that’s been holding you back. That’s success, and it feels good. But here’s the thing: success is not the end. It’s a checkpoint.

In the Navy SEALs, we’re taught that complacency kills. If you rest on your achievements, thinking you’ve made it, you lose the edge that got you there in the first place. Success is temporary. What matters is what you do next. Do you keep pushing, keep grinding, keep moving forward? Or do you let success be the peak, and coast from there? The choice is yours.

Failure is Not Fatal

On the flip side, failure is part of the journey. You’ll miss the mark. You’ll stumble, fall, and maybe even question why you’re doing this. But failure isn’t fatal unless you let it be. It’s easy to see failure as the end, but it’s just another lesson in the process. Every time you fail, you’re given a choice: stay down or get back up.

In training, we fail often. It’s how we grow. You push yourself until you can’t go any further, and then you learn from it. What went wrong? How can you adjust? How can you be better? Failure isn’t something to fear—it’s something to embrace. It’s the fuel that drives you to dig deeper, to work harder, and to keep fighting.

I failed out of Basic Underwater Demolition School (BUD/S) aka Navy SEAL training for failing a diving math test after finishing Hell Week and over half way through the grueling 6 month training. How I responded was the key.

I had just been delivered the most crushing blow of being kicked out of Navy SEAL training. But I vowed to come back stronger than ever. I read math books and worked through thousands of problems. I trained completely different and added tons of bodyweight and cardio exercises. I had massive failure but turned it into a growth moment. Realize how powerful that can be.

The Courage to Continue

What ties success and failure together is the courage to continue. This is the real test. When you’ve succeeded, do you have the courage to set new goals and push beyond them? When you’ve failed, do you have the courage to stand back up and face the challenge again?

Courage isn’t about being fearless. It’s about feeling the fear, the doubt, the exhaustion, and continuing anyway. It’s about showing up every day, whether you’re at your best or at your lowest, and putting in the work. It’s about not letting success make you complacent or failure make you quit.

In SEALgrinderPT, we train not just for physical toughness but for mental toughness. We push ourselves not just to win, but to keep going, no matter what. The grind is never over because there’s always a new challenge, a new obstacle, a new goal. Success and failure are just parts of the journey. What counts is the courage to continue, to keep moving forward, to never settle.

So, next time you hit a high or a low, remember this: success is not final, failure is not fatal. It’s the courage to continue that counts. Keep grinding, keep pushing, and keep fighting. The mission is never over.