A review by mathias_arvidsson
Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual by Jocko Willink
2.0
At the time I read Discipline equals Freedom I was in a chaotic and structureless environment and had just decided to regain some routine. I had put together a short list of tasks to do every morning. When the list was done, I would pick up this book for half an hour before getting to work.
The book starts of strong and philosophical with Jocko reflecting on discipline, procrastiation, aggression, weakness, and stress. Eventually the book transitions into more practical advice on workouts, sleep schedules, food. But really the entire book is giving you tools for the everyday battles you face, both mental och physical.
Jocko willink is incredible. His character shines through clearly in this book as hes giving you his life advice. He's fascinating, hard working, fit, intelligent, and admirable. Many people would kill to be like him. And then he drops the bomb. Hes telling us: to be like me, all you need is hard work. A bit underwhelming. No great hack for waking up early, or for focusing better, or for getting in a workout. But that is exactly the point. All of that advice is bullshit. The real way toward greatness is hard work, and that stinks. It even has hard in the name. As he points out on one of the first pages: "People look for the shortcut. The hack. And if you came here looking for that: You wont find it. The shortcut is a lie. The hack doesn't get you there". Jocko is not here to make you feel good, or give you an excuse to be lazy. Hes here to make you straigthen your shoulders and take responsibilty.
At times it sounds really stupid when he's telling you to just get out of bed, or to go to the gym even if your not feeling it. We respond with: "it is not that easy Jocko". And he says:"I know. I never said it was easy." The strength of his advice lies in its simplicity. Challenge yourself, and fight those everyday battles that keep bringing you down. I very much agree with Jocko here. We must challenge ourselves if we are to ever improve. But living like Jocko can seem impossible. Luckily he is leading the charge, showing us what is actually possible. Being living proof of his teachings. There is some solace in that.
On the flipside of some great reflections and helping you take command, it must be warned that this book is very easy to misinterpret. Jocko can seem arrogant at times. And some may take his advice to too great a length so that it becomes harmful. I see myself implementing more and more of his ideas as time goes on. The book is difficult to internalise, and simply reading the book will not make you disciplined. He even addresses this in the book on the last page, he calls on you to "Don't just read this book...The only thing that matters is what you actually do. So: Do."
My favorite part of the book was this entire idea that "There is no hack". I am so incredibly tired of all these tips online on how to get to bed on time, or sleep better or whatever. Drinking a warm glass of milk before bed will probably not fix your problems. Most of that is feel-good junk that you will try once. But it won't have any lastning impact. I am not saying those tips are useless, perhaps they do help a little. This idea however that there is a hack for everything is harmful, and it breeds laziness. It makes it seem like you never need hard work if you just do things "properly". I just hope I can be more honest to myself, and accept that sometimes I am not putting in enough effort. I need to work harder. Still best not to overdo it however. Progress will come with time.
The book starts of strong and philosophical with Jocko reflecting on discipline, procrastiation, aggression, weakness, and stress. Eventually the book transitions into more practical advice on workouts, sleep schedules, food. But really the entire book is giving you tools for the everyday battles you face, both mental och physical.
Jocko willink is incredible. His character shines through clearly in this book as hes giving you his life advice. He's fascinating, hard working, fit, intelligent, and admirable. Many people would kill to be like him. And then he drops the bomb. Hes telling us: to be like me, all you need is hard work. A bit underwhelming. No great hack for waking up early, or for focusing better, or for getting in a workout. But that is exactly the point. All of that advice is bullshit. The real way toward greatness is hard work, and that stinks. It even has hard in the name. As he points out on one of the first pages: "People look for the shortcut. The hack. And if you came here looking for that: You wont find it. The shortcut is a lie. The hack doesn't get you there". Jocko is not here to make you feel good, or give you an excuse to be lazy. Hes here to make you straigthen your shoulders and take responsibilty.
At times it sounds really stupid when he's telling you to just get out of bed, or to go to the gym even if your not feeling it. We respond with: "it is not that easy Jocko". And he says:"I know. I never said it was easy." The strength of his advice lies in its simplicity. Challenge yourself, and fight those everyday battles that keep bringing you down. I very much agree with Jocko here. We must challenge ourselves if we are to ever improve. But living like Jocko can seem impossible. Luckily he is leading the charge, showing us what is actually possible. Being living proof of his teachings. There is some solace in that.
On the flipside of some great reflections and helping you take command, it must be warned that this book is very easy to misinterpret. Jocko can seem arrogant at times. And some may take his advice to too great a length so that it becomes harmful. I see myself implementing more and more of his ideas as time goes on. The book is difficult to internalise, and simply reading the book will not make you disciplined. He even addresses this in the book on the last page, he calls on you to "Don't just read this book...The only thing that matters is what you actually do. So: Do."
My favorite part of the book was this entire idea that "There is no hack". I am so incredibly tired of all these tips online on how to get to bed on time, or sleep better or whatever. Drinking a warm glass of milk before bed will probably not fix your problems. Most of that is feel-good junk that you will try once. But it won't have any lastning impact. I am not saying those tips are useless, perhaps they do help a little. This idea however that there is a hack for everything is harmful, and it breeds laziness. It makes it seem like you never need hard work if you just do things "properly". I just hope I can be more honest to myself, and accept that sometimes I am not putting in enough effort. I need to work harder. Still best not to overdo it however. Progress will come with time.