Jocko Willink is known for discipline, grit, and extreme ownership.

But when it came to parenting, he got some things completely wrong and had to learn the hard way.

Here are 10 powerful lessons from his conversation with his daughter, Rana: 1. The Rock-Carrying Challenge: Teaching Grit and Determination

Jocko set up a challenge: swim across a river, grab the biggest rock you can carry, and bring it back. Most kids chose small stones easy to manage. But his daughter? She went for a massive boulder.

Navy SEALs are some of the world's most elite warriors.

What's their secret weapon?

Breath control.

Here's how they train it (and how you can master it too): You take 22,000 breaths each day.

Most people are unaware of their breathing.

But different breathing patterns can result in more energy, a calmer mind and a clearer head.

Here's what the Navy Seals taught us during a 52-hour non-stop training:

The question I get asked most often:

“How do you guys have the time and energy?”

• Present parents to 6 kids (2–14 years old), with nr 7 due
• Happy marriage
• Pursuing fitness goals
• CEO of a medium-sized company plus voluntary work

Here's the deep dive: 🧵👇 The only reason any of this works is because of the incredible people around me—first and foremost, my wife, who is the backbone of our family.

But also my amazing kids, our wider family, and my fantastic colleagues at work.

I am part of a bigger system. And I lean on it daily.

I got married in 2011 to my first girlfriend. This is the advice I'd give myself if I could go back: 🔹Put her first

This family started with her, she's the number 1. No one deserves more of your attention, love and time than her.

Navy SEALs are some of the world's most elite warriors.

What's their secret weapon?

Breath control.

I spent a gruelling 52-hour non-stop training with ex-SEALs.

Here's what they teach you. You take 22,000 breaths each day.

Most people are unaware of their breathing.

But different breathing patterns can result in more energy, a calmer mind and a clearer head.

Here's what the Navy Seals taught and how you can master it too:

Several times a week I get asked: “How do you guys do it?”

• 6 kids (1-13yrs)
• Happy marriage
• Both work out daily
• PhD & now CEO of a company

The answer is, there’s no secret. But here's my attempt to give a fuller picture in the hope that it helps other parents. But first up, the reason I’ve struggled to write about this is that any attempt to ‘reveal’ how we do it, will be incomplete and how things work for us, will not work for you in the same way.

The most disciplined man alive:

Jocko Willink

I've listened to 1,000+ hours of his podcasts, read his books and spoken with him.

Here are 12 principles you can apply to become unbeatable: Who is Jocko Willink?

• Married with 4 kids
• Leadership consultant
• Navy Seal (20-year career)
• Co-owner of Jiu Jitsu academy & gym
• Podcast host and NYT bestselling author
• Co-owner of Origin USA (clothing & supplements)

Now to the principles:

10 things I know after 6 kids I wish I’d known before we had our first: 1/ Your kids are motivators, not excuses

It’s your duty as a parent to become your best self. Don’t settle for the excuses of less time, energy and motivation. Instead become physically strong, mentally tough, emotionally balanced and intuitionally aware.

10 habits that help me level up my productivity, health and happiness

(to serve my wife, 6 kids and colleagues better): 1. Early morning workouts

Working out first thing does wonders for your physical and mental health. You build momentum for the rest of the day and avoid having an argument with yourself about exercising later. Plus you jumpstart your metabolism.

Do you want to 10x your willpower?

The area in the brain responsible for that is the Anterior Mid-Cingulate Cortex.

Here’s the science-backed approach by Andrew Huberman and David Goggins that ensures you increase your self-control: We’ve all heard about what certain areas in the brain are responsible for:

Hippocampus → short-term memory
Frontal Lobe → reasoning & motor skills
Cerebrum → Feelings, intelligence & memory

But what about the Anterior Mid-Cingulate Cortex?

Stress is silently ruining you.

Here's how it affects you and 9 proven ways to combat it: Most of our modern diseases are caused by modern stressors.

They destroy our physical and mental balance, which leads to ill health.

And often we are unprepared to know how to deal with them effectively. Let’s dive in how to combat that:

Navy SEALs are some of the world's most elite warriors.

Key to their success is their mental toughness.

Here're 7 lessons that I learned training with SEALs that'll help you forge an unbeatable mind: 8 years ago, 20 of us lined up to take on the challenge.

Only 13 made it to the end.

We ran, swam and worked out for 52+ hours straight during the SealFit Kokoro camp.

We got yelled at and didn’t get enough food.

And we loved it.

Cheat codes I live by in my 30’s I wish I knew in my 20’s: 1. A calm mind is your most powerful tool.

2. Titles are meaningless. Life’s not about what you are on the outside, but who you are on the inside.

Fitness lessons I learned the hard way after 20+ years in the gym.

(Bookmark this thread to help you avoid my mistakes): 1. The workouts you don’t “feel like doing” are the most important ones. Why? Because they build discipline and consistency.

2. You can’t target specific areas for fat loss.

Hybrid Athletes are the ultimate all-rounders, combining strength + endurance.

Here’s how you become one: What is hybrid training?

It’s a way of training which lets bench 200lbs and run a marathon on the same day.

To get there you can't just follow Wendler’s 5-3-1 strength program and sprinkle in triathlon-prep workouts.

Instead, you need to build a deliberate exercise regime:

Navy SEALs are some of the world's most elite warriors.

What's their secret weapon?

Breath control.

I undertook a gruelling 52-hour non-stop training with ex-SEALs.

Here's what they teach you. You take 22,000 breaths each day.

Most people are unaware of their breathing.

But different breathing patterns can result in more energy, a calmer mind and a clearer head.

Here's what the Navy Seals taught and how you can master it too:

Creating work-life balance is a daily struggle.

Here's the system I use to manage my time and energy between
• family (wife & 6 kids)
• work (CEO of a non-profit)
• personal time (hybrid athlete)

In the hope that this is useful to you too: But before we dive into it, none of this would be possible without my wife. She is the hero of our family and the best mother a child could wish for.

Successful work-life balance means both of us having the time and energy to pursue our goals.

If you're feeling a lack of purpose in your life, read this: Being unfulfilled often comes from a lack of clarity.

What is my purpose in life and how do I find it?

Studies show that longevity is linked to:
• having a clear sense of your purpose
• having a strong sense of control
• doing something worthwhile

So how do you find yours?

21 dead-simple habits that'll transform your productivity in 2024: 1) Use Do-dates instead of Due-dates:

Finishing a task when the deadline is close, causes stress. Instead finish it before, at a time you choose.

2) Micro-tasks:

When a task is too big, you won’t know where to start. Break out the smallest next step. Do that.

Bad posture is crippling you.

Here’s how to reverse it (from someone who suffered from back pain for years as a young adult): Over 31 million Americans suffer from bad posture, leading to:

• Back, neck and shoulder pain
• Impaired lung function
• Constricted nerves
• Misaligned Spine
• Poor circulation
• Poor digestion
• Headache
• Jaw pain

Let’s fix that:

If you struggle to focus, read this: 🔹Prime yourself

Clarify why you’re doing this task.

Then prime your mind for whatever you’re about to do:

Need to plan your diary → go through your to-dos

Need to finish a report → read over your notes

Need to be creative → start sketching ideas