Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual by Jocko Willink - ★★★★

I bought this book for a variety of reasons. I liked the title, the simple black and white style of the book, I thought I’d heard the guy talk on the Joe Rogan show and it was on sale. The book, which is just as strong as its title is more than a self help book, it’s a self discipline book. As Jocko explains, it really does all start with you. You are the one who can make the decision not to eat the junk food, which he rightly calls poison. He also admits that there is poison all around us and the other people are eating it. It doesn’t matter if the donuts are free -- they are poison. Jocko was a highly decorated Navy Seal and doesn’t take any shit. He sees your weakness as something that can and will be overcome. It’s not a very long book, but it is one that I’d like to read again. The strength of Jocko’s words really fly off the page and as I continue to let them marinate in the background, I think I’ve really learned something and know that I can and will do better in the future. I recommend this book for anyone and everyone who’s trying to get starting and is struggling with motivation. Remember -- action comes before motivation -- it doesn’t make sense but it’s true. I convinced myself to start this column by laying out the books I read. Real simple task to get me started. Once I’d laid it out, the column started to take shape, so I became motivated to write it. Now it’s almost done, so I’m motivated to finish. As it says on the back cover “There is no shortcut. There is no hack. There’s only one way. So get after it.”