![Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual by [Jocko Willink]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31nJLqbr7FL._SX260_.jpg)
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.
- File Size: 13285 KB
- Print Length: 189 pages
- Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1 edition (October 17, 2017)
- Publication Date: October 17, 2017
- Sold by: Macmillan
- Language: English
- ASIN: B06XB9HQMN
- Text-to-Speech:
Enabled
- Word Wise: Enabled
- Lending: Not Enabled
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Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#11,282 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #62 in Motivational Self-Help (Kindle Store)
- #30 in Personal Success in Business
- #236 in Personal Finance (Books)
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