Discipline Equals Freedom

Field Manual
by Jocko Willink | St. Martin's Press © 2017 · 208 pages

Jocko Willink is a retired Navy SEAL. He was commander of Task Unit Bruiser―the most decorated Special Operations Unit of the Iraq War. I really enjoyed Jocko’s first book Extreme Ownership and I knew this one would be good but... I didn’t expect it to be THIS good. The words literally explode off the page. Not just because each micro-chapter was an incredibly inspiring micro-manifesto but because each word was written by a man so clearly living in complete integrity with his deepest values. John Maxwell would say his “moral authority” is extraordinary. I’d say his SOUL FORCE is palpable. If you’re in the mood for a soul-rattling call-to-disciplined action, I think you’ll enjoy the book as much as I did.


“People look for shortcuts. The hack. And if you came here looking for that:
You won’t find it. The shortcut is a lie. The hack doesn’t get you there.

And if you want to take the easy road, it won’t take you to where you want to be: Stronger. Smarter. Faster. Healthier. Better.
FREE.

To reach goals and overcome obstacles and become the best version of you possible will not happen by itself. It will not happen cutting corners, taking shortcuts, or looking for the easy way.

THERE IS NO EASY WAY.

There is only hard work, late nights, early mornings, practice, rehearsal, repetition, study, sweat, blood, toil, frustration, and discipline. DISCIPLINE.

THERE MUST BE DISCIPLINE.

Discipline: The root of all good qualities. The driver of daily execution. The core principle that overcomes laziness and lethargy and excuses. Discipline defeats the infinite excuses that say: Not today, not now, I need a rest, I will do it tomorrow.

What’s the hack? How do you become stronger, smarter, faster, healthier? How do you become better? How do you achieve true freedom?

There is only one way.

THE WAY OF DISCIPLINE.

~ Jocko Willink from Discipline Equals Freedom

The other day Cal Newport and I were having one of our chats. We were talking about our Optimize Coach – Class I graduation, our focus on virtue and the fact that, immediately after “graduating” on Day 300, it was Day 1 and we all started again.

Cal told me that our approach reminded him of Jocko Willink. Then he told me he loves Jocko’s kids books. So… I went to Amazon to get them. And, that’s when I found THIS book. I got it.

And…

Although I really enjoyed Jocko’s first book Extreme Ownership and I knew this one would be good, I didn’t expect it to be THIS good. It’s almost impossible to describe how powerful it is.

The words literally explode off the page. Not just because each micro-chapter was an incredibly inspiring micro-manifesto but because each word was written by a man so clearly living in complete integrity with his deepest values.

John Maxwell would say his “moral authority” is extraordinary. I’d say his SOUL FORCE is palpable.

As I tried to explain to Alexandra just how palpable Jocko’s Soul Force is and just how RARE it is to feel it through a book like this, we agreed that Thich Nhat Hanh is another example of a similar power. Although Jocko is the archetypal warrior and Thich is the archetypal monk, they BOTH have EXACTLY the same connection to the best within themselves matched by a fierce resolve to BE that best version of themselves. And, well, that’s a powerful, palpable thing to feel.

So, yah. I liked the book. A lot. (Get a copy here.)

For those who may not know, Jocko is a retired Navy SEAL. He was commander of Task Unit Bruiser―the most decorated Special Operations Unit of the Iraq War. After retiring, Jocko co-founded Echelon Front, a management consulting company, wrote the #1 New York Times bestseller Extreme Ownership, the children’s book Way of the Warrior Kid, and created one of the top-ranking podcasts, JOCKO PODCAST.

If you’re in the mood for a soul-rattling call-to-disciplined action, I think you’ll enjoy the book as much as I did. For now, I’m excited to share a few of my favorite Big Ideas so let’s jump in!

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About the author

Authors

Jocko Willink

Retired Navy SEAL officer, author, speaker and co-founder of Echelon Front.