Navy SEAL Jocko Willink: Discipline Equals Freedom

"There's only one thing that's going to get you out of bed in the morning. And that's discipline," says former Navy SEAL Jocko Willink.

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Jocko Willink knows a thing or two about discipline. The former Navy Seal commander served in one of the most highly decorated special operations units of the Iraq war and his service would earn him both the Silver and Bronze Star. He'd later found the leadership consultancy Echelon Front and write a number of best-selling books.

While most people think discipline will confine you, Willink disagrees. He claims that by practicing discipline, you'll actually find freedom. Big goals require consistency and hard work, he says, but allow you to have greater control over your life.

As Willink noted in his book "The Dichotomy of Leadership," standard operating procedures in the military created their own sort of structure and discipline for teams and guided everything from the way vehicles were loaded to how buildings were cleared. These plans helped teams learn how to execute tasks efficiently, freeing them to solve bigger problems.

To be sure, discipline needs to be balanced with common sense, he wrote in his book. But by practicing discipline, you'll build strong habits and be better able to tackle harder and harder projects. "The more you implement discipline, the more you have it throughout the day. The more willpower you have, the stronger your willpower gets," he says.

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Former Navy SEAL: Here's what most people get wrong about discipline | CNBC Make It.