Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual

Discipline Equals Freedom. A man's entire philosophy boiled down to 3 words. This is what is most incredible about this book. The depth paired with the brevity. At 190 pages it isn't meant to waste your time and that's why I like Jocko's writing. It has an intent and it cuts out all of the clutter. He stays disciplined even within his writing. The book is broken into 2 parts: Thoughts and Actions. Part I (Thoughts) discusses his philosophy and Part II (Actions) discusses physical conditioning (diet, stretching, etc.). There is also a bonus appendix with very, very detailed workouts for different levels of physical condition (i.e. beginner to advanced). What most impressed me about this book was Jocko's ability to discuss a topic in detail and then summarize it succinctly in one line. This is his gift and he uses it in almost every chapter. Glory in solitude. Laughter wins. Curse the warmth of the bed. All of these ideas, and others, are included in Part I (Thoughts) of this field manual. While originally reading Part I (Thoughts), I thought it was somewhat unorganized. Why is he talking about Regret then talking about Focus? However, as I kept reading I realized that Jocko was just attacking the same problem from many different angles. It was as if Jocko were rotating around his core truth (Discipline Equals Freedom) and explaining it using different perspectives. For example, how do you view Discipline Equals Freedom through the lens of stress? Through regret? Through negativity? Through positivity? It is harder to follow the structure initially, but I believe this makes the work more accessible to a wider audience. For example, I found that some chapters spoke to me more than others, and I am guessing you will feel the same way. In Part II (Actions) Jocko summarizes what actions you can take to start moving in the right direction physically. I completely agree that thinking is nowhere near enough to actually make changes in your life. You have to act, and this part discusses the practical side of acting. For example, how to wake up early, how to eat, how to work out while traveling, etc. I recommend spending as much time, if not more, on acting (Part II) as you did on thinking (Part I). While the thinking will get you engaged, the acting will keep you engaged, and this is the key to staying disciplined. In conclusion, this isn't a typical motivational book. When reading it you can tell that the author means business. He lives this lifestyle. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. His Instagram account illustrates this better than anything. 2 daily photos. One at around 4:30 AM to show he is awake and acting, and one after his daily workout. Simple, but to the point. He lives it and I hope you can take some inspiration from this book to live closer to your truth. With that being said, I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the book: "We are defeated one tiny, seemingly insignificant surrender at a time that chips away at who we should really be. It isn't that you wake up one day and decide that's it: I am going to be weak. No. It is a slow incremental process. It chips away at our will-it chips away at our discipline." I hope you enjoy Discipline Equals Freedom as much as I did.

Nice edition. Concise, authentic and practical tips. No nonsense Jocko style.

If you’re looking for the latest cutting-edge 6-step formula on how to reprogram your mind for success, and how to easily overcome laziness and procrastination – then do not buy this book. You’ll want to look elsewhere, as you won’t find it here. What you WILL find is an absolute goldmine of basic, fundamental truths – axioms that seem to have gotten lost in recent years in favor of new-age magical thinking - the basic “secrets” that anyone looking for true success and fulfillment needs to know. Jocko is as no-nonsense as they come and will knock your socks off. In Discipline Equals Freedom he delivers a series of simple but powerful messages that will resonate with you at your very core. The segments are presented in a very clear, inspiring and motivational way. In addition, the physical book itself is absolutely beautiful – it has very solid feel with a thick hard covers and thick pages. It’s a book you’ll want to keep handy on your desktop for frequent inspiration, and not hidden away somewhere on a bookshelf. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will refer back to it again and again. I’m hoping Jocko comes out with an audiobook version, to listen to while working out. And speaking of workouts, he presents a series of killer workouts for beginner, intermediate and advanced trainees. These are very tough workouts, even the beginner ones. But they are definitely worth aspiring to. The section on Focus alone is worth the price of the book x 100. If you’re like me and have a tendency to procrastinate, this chapter will hit you over the head like a bag of bricks and really wake you up. It’s PURE GOLD.

tldr: good book, buy it! Navy Seals are very popular. The once silent professionals are putting out movies and memoirs on a scale I never could have imagined 20 years ago. They have developed such a following that some fanboys will 5-star any and everything they put out. If you have heard or seen Jacko on a podcast or interview, you know he does not need to trade on this reputation. His character is the product. This book is full of no-nonsense advice starting with the idea that YOU control you. It is a self-help and motivational book that contains no nonsense and is very direct. Other similar books mollycoddle the audience with tidbits like "If you can't stop eating sugar it is not your fault. Your dopamine and serotonin..." Jacko puts it simply "If you are eating too much sugar STOP. Just stop." Granted he does not give a plan on how to wean off sugar. There is no 21 day secret plan. No secret squirrel recipe collection of substitutions one can make. JUST STOP. Take control and fix it. This is where his book shines. The burden is on you. Only you can change your life. As a non-millennial that works with millennials, I wish the participation-trophy/play-date/helicopter-parent generation had been exposed to such blunt truths. Why only 4 stars? Nothing in the book is that groundbreaking. Much of this has been said before and, perhaps, said better. I opened it at 10 PM the day it was released and read it until midnight. I could not put it down. It was fun to read the book in Jacko's voice, but as I was reading I realized that you could easily read most of the sentences in Tony Robbins' voice just as easily. Or any motivational guru. If you want the parts of the book that are uniquely Jacko there are some, but I recommend "Extreme Ownership" for that. It has more developed stories and sounds like it is a lot more of your liking. In that respect only, the relationship between EO and DEF is analogous to the relationship between a book and a TED talk. This is a good book, despite my minor criticism. As much as I dogged on it, I woke up the next day and got out of bed without hitting a snooze button.

Jocko Willink is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL who has inspired me to wake up early, which has been a game changer for my life. Jocko posts a photo of his watch on Twitter every morning when he wakes up at 4:30 a.m. I am not getting up that early, but I'm now waking up at 6 a.m. every morning, including weekends, which has amped up my daily productivity significantly. Jocko's Discipline Equals Freedom is the book that motivated this change for me. I'll share 7 great things about Jocko and this book below. 1. Navy SEALs are tough, obviously. I'm probably the opposite of a Navy SEAL. I wouldn't have made the cut. However, somehow Jocko's intensity has encouraged me greatly. Jocko believes that waking up early and exercising is the transformational habit for your day. I believe him. I've been what you call a "night owl" for most of my life. I'm now waking up early consistently. Apparently a Navy SEAL can still motivate me here in my 40s. :) 2. Jocko believes in the word GOOD, even when things do not seem good on the surface. I'm sure this is some sort of Navy SEAL training Jedi-mind trick, but it works. It's taking life head on and all that it brings you. And some good can be found in whatever it brings you. The Stoic philosophers approached life this way as well. They encourage us to embrace whatever life brings our way. "Embrace it all." 3. Discipline Equals Freedom is split into three parts: 1. Thoughts, 2. Actions and 3. Workouts. Jocko appropriately spends the first part of the book focusing on how important our thoughts are. We need to achieve discipline in our thoughts before we can hope to achieve discipline in our actions. This reminds me of Jim Collin's quote from his epic book, Good to Great, where he advocates for: "Disciplined People with Disciplined Thoughts taking Disciplined Action." Discipline your mind before you attempt to discipline your life. 4. Jocko advocates that we all exercise daily. It doesn't have to be lifting weights daily, but some activity every day and ideally first thing in the morning to get your blood pumping. It could be a walk. It could be a run. He does advocate for some strength training in the book, which I agree with. Jocko does have a number of daily exercise regimens detailed in this book that range from Beginner to Advanced. Most of these exercises can actually be done at home and don't require a gym. 5. Jocko writes about his passion for the martial art Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in this book. I have never done a martial art, but his advocacy for learning how to defend yourself by knowing a martial art is compelling. I am now motivated to find a self defense class that my whole family can take together. 6. I first learned about Jocko thanks to a terrific podcast interview Tim Ferriss had with Jocko about his first book, Extreme Ownership: How Navy SEALS Lead and Win. (I'll be writing a review of this book soon. Stay tuned.) This podcast interview from 2015 was actually Jocko's first public interview ever. It is terrific. 7. Jocko served our country for 20 years as a U.S. Navy SEAL. He is a veteran and a hero. I thank him for his service to our country and thank him for his new mission of service to motivate and train civilians like me.

I just read the book yesterday, and honestly, it's just what I've been needing lately. Most self-help (I hate the phrase) books are so full of flowery pedantic BS that the vital core of whatever message the author originally intended to share is lost in the mess of excess words which seemingly exist only to fill pages. With this book however, there is no getting lost. The author leaves you no room for misinterpretation; every word written can clearly be seen as precise and calculated for maximum effect. And it works! This book will appeal to anyone at any level of comprehension, any education or profession, young and old alike. As I got through the first few chapters, I couldn't help but smile at the brilliant simplicity of the messages and wisdom. I didn't need to go back and reread whole paragraphs to figure out what he was trying to say. Instead, I reread passages often because I found many profound thoughts explained so simply, it was out of sheer pleasure to read them again. Honestly, this book is as if Hemingway were reborn as a ham-fisted 21st century SEAL and unleashed on the self-help industry with a philosophy to share with the world. I'd had the digital copy pre-ordered for what seems like ages, but I as soon as I finished it, I bought another hard-copy as a gift for someone who can use it. Buy this book, and clear a space on your nightstand for it. You'll be coming back to it, and it's one of those rare books that is worth every penny many times over.

I just found my personal operating manual for life! Do some research on the author, Jocko Willink, and you will most likely come to the same conclusion that I did... This man is the real deal. Not only is Jocko a certified BAMF of the 10th order, he is an intellect that walks his talk. You will find no fluff, sugar coating, or psychobabble between the hefty bindings of this book. What you will find are laser guided, in your face directions that force the reader to “take the wheel.” You immediate understand that discipline is required to become your best and there are no shortcuts, no easy paths, or cheat days. Jocko’s words are impactful. I appreciate an uncomforting feeling came over me as I digested the first few pages. The appreciation came because I knew it meant that my ego's defenses were being assaulted. The book will definitely expose your shortcomings if you read it with an introspective and open mind. A waterboarding of the ego so to speak. And even though you may be feeling like an ineffective beta sloth, like I did when comparing my current routines to that of Jocko’s… Knowing that not only does Jocko have your back, but that he is sticking by your side to see your transformation through quickly switches your mindset from sloth to slayer. I only received the book yesterday, but I can't put it down. Jocko does a great job making the reader understand the brevity of putting this manual into action. My next step is following the workout plan he provides at the end of the book. The book is laid out in short sections, 1 to 2 pages each, utilizing a dark background with large bold white font. The book has a physically appealing, yet intimidating look and feel, which you really have to hold to appreciate.

I love this field manual and will reference it many times. It is a quick but powerful read. I've read through it several times; front to back and back to front and leave it in my backpack along with other field manuals for skills, life, diet, food, etc. It is an excellent reference book to build up self motivation. One doesn't necessarily learn new scientifically proven concepts in this book, but one SOLIDIFIES what we already know deep down inside. To get stronger, faster, smarter, healthier, better all stems from self-discipline. We all know that Donuts aren't good for your health; we all know that you won't lose weight if you eat more and don't exercise. This is all fundamental knowledge. But DOING it is different than knowing it. Otherwise we would see everyone up early, training diligently, being humble, modest, healthy, positive and eager to win! Self-discipline is a great challenge. The actions section is fantastic. I love seeing the routines and challenges from a disciplined leader. What he recommends for martial arts, diet, workouts are a great platform that shows you that simplicity and fundamentals coupled with solid, self-discipline WINS. I believe this manual should be read multiple times each year to remind oneself of the FUNDAMENTALS of life; a good perspective of reality. Daily, disciplined, quality, positive, strong, work ethic driven mindsets will always win; it doesn't matter what race, sex, ethnicity, etc. We are lucky as humans to have this control of thought. And with this thought process you will win your day and take control and improve your happiness.

I've read all the three, most famous U.S. Navy seal books. Personally, I believe that discipline equals freedom is not a book that you'd want to just sit down and enjoy reading while having your coffee, its moreover a book that you're supposed to read when you feel that you don't want to continue doing your work. I highly recommend you to put it on your desk, and open any random page and start reading when you feel like lying in bed and leaving everything for 'tomorrow'

Der Autor bezeichnet dieses Büchlein als "Field Manual" - hier eher ein kleines Handbüchlein, in dem er die wesentlichen Lehren und Erkenntnisse aus seiner Tätigkeit bei einer amerikanischen Spetzialeinheit sehr gut zusammengefasst. Es st sozusagen der komprimierte, eingedampfte und um ein paar neue Aspekte ergänzte Inhalt des BUches "Extreme Ownership" das Jocko Willink mit einem Co-Autor geschrieben hat. "Discipline equals freedom" ist an sich ja schon eine sehr interessante Aussage, weil das rechtzeitige Planen, frühe Aufstehen und richtige Organisieren von Dingen die Freiheit für Selbst-Vorankommen und andere Dinge gibt. Die Führungsprinzipien sind bewährt und lassen sich vom militärischen Bereich sehr gut in die Welt der Projekte und des persönlichen Vorankommens übertragen. Dieses Buch ist *sehr groß* gedruckt, weshalb sich die einzelnen Seiten auch sehr gut als Motivationskärtchen zum Aufhängen eignen (Vorsichtig rausschneiden bitte). Zielgruppe: Ich glaube, dass dieses zusammengefasste Büchlein etwas für die Leserinnen und Leser ist, die bereits jetzt unter Organisationsdruck und Zeitproblemen leiden. Es enthält zudem einige Ernährungstipps und wie Sie die Gesundheit durch weniger an Fast Food und mehr an gutem Essen steigern sollten. Wenn Sie (noch) nicht tief in die Welt der Entstehung der Führungsprinzipien eintauchen möchten und das Geschriebene erst mal verstehen und als Anleitung "sacken" lassen möchten. Das abschließende Kapital enthält zusätzlich einige Vorschläge für ein effektives Workout. Und die vertiefende Lektüre dann später lesen möchten oder werden. Mit sehr guten Englischkenntnissen sollten Sie sich an dieses Buch wagen. Wer mehr Lesezeit pro ausgegebenem Euro haben möchte, der sollte sich sozusagen die ursprüngliche Langversion ISBN 9781250183866 aus dem Angebot von Amazon gönnen.

Disciplines Equals Freedom, le titre du livre peu paraître flou mais en réalité Jocko à travers son livre veut vraiment nous faire comprendre que : la liberté est le fait d'avoir le pouvoir sur soi. Faire ce qu'on a dit que l'on allait faire, tenir sur la durée dans ses engagements, faire face aux situations compliqués car elles arriveront etc. Ce livre est un condensé de notions fondamentales pour exceller dans la vie et dans tous les domaines. Je le recommande chaudement. (La version audio est incroyable aussi, donc pour les plus curieux vous la trouverez sur Youtube).

Ideaal als je opzoek bent naar motivatie voor het sporten. Hij verteld de (harde) waarheid. Daarbij zitten achterin goede workouts voor beginners tot aan govorderden. Het boek oogt ook heel mooi, blijft wel lastig open liggen.

A must have to reach greatness !