I’ll be honest. I bought the book because of the title and the little I knew about the author, Jocko Willink. The book itself, Discipline Equals Freedom: A Field Manual is beautiful in its own right with deliberate images backing motivational passages about ‘getting after’ the things we aspire to and value in life. Its first words drew me in right away.
People look for the shortcut. 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.
After losing almost fifty pounds this past year by removing shit food, alcohol, and a lifestyle that hurt more than it helped I can attest that there is no hack. I do the work. Every day. It’s simple, not easy.
It’s fucking hard to get up at 5 AM when it’s still dark out every single day, but I don’t miss. If I’m up all night with our newborn, I figure it out. Family is priority one and my health being optimal is an essential component of that priority. Are there sacrifices? No. I am doing exactly what I want to do and am in control of my life. Does it take discipline? Fuck ya and it’s worth it. I am worth it. My family is worth it.
It started with a decision. I needed to get healthy. How did I do that? I studied nutrition and started moving my body. I made small changes and stayed with them. Experimented, reviewed, and implemented or removed. On to the next one. This became a self-perpetuating cycle of improvement. A lifestyle. But it had to be consistent and so it became.
Lifelong Learning Through Reading
Something my partner/CEO instilled upon me indirectly was the tremendous value of lifelong learning specifically through reading. He truly made me a voracious reader. I have at least two books and an audiobook on the go at any time. The majority of these are non-fiction and I have gotten into the routine of sharing them on Medium quarterly. This isn’t something that I force myself to do. Who has time to force more shit into our schedule? This was strategic and subtle. I added this discipline to my life over time.
As it was, it just so happened that I needed help sleeping and guess what’s a good thing to do before going to sleep? Reading. Not a device, a book; a tactile-turn-each-fucking-page-with-your-fingers book. And so I find something I want to learn about, I get the book and I get at it. The sleep improved and I have learned a ton! Audiobooks are easy. When I drive or am running or working out I consume audiobooks and podcasts. Sometimes I’ll have them on if I’m preparing breakfast.
Art
I used to think that discipline and art were mutually exclusive, but the more I study the greats I learn that getting at it every day is the discipline. Write every day. Paint every day. Fulfill your purpose every day.
When you can master the discipline, doing these things every day becomes a habit. It becomes a lifestyle. Make a promise to yourself and keep it. If you can’t keep a promise to yourself who can you keep a promise to? There is no hack. Do the work. This is what freedom looks like.
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