Former Navy SEAL, 52, reveals the key military skills that ANYONE can use to achieve success in their lives - even if you're at 'rock bottom'

A former Navy Seal has revealed the tricks he learned while in training that helped him overcome anxiety in his everyday life, detailing how reaching 'rock bottom' actually helped him to find happiness.

Jocko Willink, 52, is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL officer and co-founder of the leadership training organization, Echelon Front. 

The former SEAL, who says he has been interested in military and combat  since he was a young child, has now opened up about how his combat training helped him to develop mental coping mechanisms that he still uses today during a podcast interview on The Diary of a CEO. 

After joining the military at 18, Jocko, who is also a New York Times bestseller, signed a contract that included him going to Navy SEAL training. He went on to spent 20 years as a SEAL, rising to an officer rank.

Jocko Willink is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL officer and co-founder of the leadership training organization, Echelon Front

Jocko, who says he has been interested in military and combat since he was a young child, says his time in combat training has shaped his mental coping mechanisms today

Speaking about the rigorous training that SEALs have to go through, he revealed that a staggering 80 per cent of people quit in the first week 

'Navy SEAL is a part of the Navy but you're the Special Operations component of the Navy, and the the term seal is actually an acronym which stands for sea air and land,' Jocko explained to host Steven Bartlett.

Jocko said only about 20 per cent of of people make it through SEAL training, and for people under 20 it goes down to five per cent.

The former SEAL said they more or less try and recreate combat similar to World War II and see how prospective SEALs behave.

'They compressed a bunch of that combat simulation,' he further explains. 'It's about five and a half days, no sleep, lots of physical activity, lots of stress lots of pain and lots of people quit.'

He said around 80 per cent of people quit within the first week of training.

'There's some internal drive that you either have or you don't have, and if you have it you won't quit and if you don't have it you're going to quit,' he said simply. 

He also voice a somewhat controversial take that some people have a 'will to live,' while others simply don't.

'There's some people that had a will that they were not gonna die,' Jocko said adamant, in reference to soldiers in combat.

'And the people that die, they they did not have the will to live.'

Jocko says the key to overcoming anxiety is through building confidence - in whatever way possible.

Jocko talked to host of Diary of CEO podcast, Steven Barlett, about how he overcomes anxiety and self-doubt

Jocko spent 20 years in the SEAL Teams, starting as an enlisted SEAL and rising through the ranks to become a SEAL officer

The author says: 'Even though extreme ownership hurts and is painful, it's also liberating because now you have control over your fate and over your destiny and that is a glorious thing'

He acknowledged that rejection hurts and your ego can suffer - but it's all about how you handle it and rebound.

'I think we can all think of people in our lives - and maybe even ourselves - at times who have gotten into a chronic pattern of using excuses and blame as a form of self-defense,' Steven agreed.

He continued: 'Because we don't want to [turn] that mirror back at us and have to confront reality.'

Jocko says reaching rock bottom can be a good tool for rebuilding confidence in your own life, because you are the only person who can fix it.

'People can actually confront the fact that, "This is all because of me and this is it hurts but is also unbelievably empowering because if these problems are because of me then I'm capable of fixing these problems,"' he explained.

'Even though extreme ownership hurts and is painful, it's also liberating because now you have control over your fate and over your destiny and that is a glorious thing,' the author encouraged.

Jacko also suggested building more confidence by starting with smaller tasks that are easily achievable and slowly increasing the tasks and responsibility.

'Train, study, work, practice [and] eventually you will increase your confidence,' he urged.

'It's basically exposure therapy where you expose yourself to a little bit,' he added.

Jocko added the despite what you may have heard, exposure therapy can actually be useful.

'I don't think imposter syndrome is a bad thing, I think if you feel it it's actually a good indication that you're humble and you have an open mind and you're going to listen to what people have to say,' he said.

He acknowledged that rejection hurts and your ego can suffer - but it's all about how you handle it and rebound

Jocko (right) stressed the importance of making a well-informed and thought out decision, and not in the heat of the moment

 He also advised being upfront with your skills or if you are feeling out of your depth. 

'[Call people together and say] "I don't know everything, I've not that experienced in this particular thing but I'm humble and willing to listen and I want the team to do well,"' he suggested, 'No more imposter syndrome.'

Jocko also reminded people that it's okay to feel emotion - particularly sadness - but you should also be able to control them.

'Sometimes you're going to get hit with those waves and that's okay,' he said.

'Embrace those emotions but don't let those emotions embrace you don't let those emotions run your life,' he added.

Jocko stressed the importance of making a well-informed and thought out decision, and not in the heat of the moment.

'[Make a ] progressive iterative decision-making process that led me from a situation that I didn't like to an opportunity that seems more promising,' he said.

According to Jocko, the trick to getting a promotion is not focusing on the end goal of getting a promotion, but of achieving the immediate short term tasks at hand.

'Don't about getting promoted. Focus on the team, focus on the mission, focus on doing a good job, focus on supporting your teammates - if you do those things you're going to get promoted,' he said.

Jocko also said its important not to ask or demand accolades, because it doesn't make you seem like a team player.