Jocko Podcast 520: You Don't Get One More Minute. Time To Reset.

Host: Jocko Willink
Co-Host: Echo Charles
Date: December 24, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode centers on one of Jocko’s core themes: the irreplaceable value of time and the urgent need for discipline. Using his daughter’s recent high-level jiu jitsu competition as a launchpad, Jocko unpacks lessons about time, regret, discipline, prioritization, and the annual "DEF Reset" discipline challenge. The discussion moves fluidly from specific stories to techniques and mindset, all delivered with Jocko’s trademark pragmatism and intensity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Value of Time: “You Don’t Get One More Minute”

• [00:08 – 10:00]
  Jocko shares an emotional story from his daughter's UFC BJJ match:

  • She competed against Bella Muir (Frank Muir’s daughter), a formidable, highly accomplished wrestler and BJJ player.

  • Jocko describes the competitiveness, the technical battle, and the outcome.

  • Post-match, Rana (his daughter) is upset and tells him:

    “If I only had one more minute.”
    This line haunts Jocko, leading to reflection about life’s finality.

  • Jocko draws a parallel to Shakespeare’s Richard II:

    “I wasted time. Now time doth waste me.”

  • Main point: In life—just like on the mat—there’s no guarantee of "one more minute." Wasting time leads to regret, so every minute must count.

2. Audit Your Life: How Much Time Did You Waste?

• [10:01 – 14:00]

  • As the year ends, Jocko challenges listeners to perform a time audit, not just an “assessment.”
  • He’s blunt: When the year ends, “you get what you get.” If you wish for “just one more day, one more minute,” it’s already too late.

  “How much time have you wasted this year?” – Jocko [11:00]

• Link to Leadership:
  The first tactical question to ask in any situation is:

  “How much time do I have?”
  Because time is the only factor you can’t control—just like terrain or weather in warfare.

3. Stay Ahead of the Power Curve

• [14:01 – 16:00]

  • Drawing from military aviation: If you fall behind the “power curve,” it’s sometimes impossible to recover.
  • Same in life: putting off small tasks seems meaningless—until they pile up, and suddenly you’re overwhelmed.

  “You can declare bankruptcy with money. You can’t declare bankruptcy with time.” – Jocko [15:00]

4. The DEF Reset: Resetting Discipline for the New Year

• [16:01 – 18:40]

  • Jocko introduces the annual DEF RESET—a four-week challenge of “unmitigated daily discipline in all things.”
  • He notes everyone claims “New Year, New Me,” but the difference is sustained, daily, objective discipline.
  • The RESET is built on eight disciplined daily habits.

  “Isn’t it crazy that everyone knows what they’re supposed to do—but we just go on cruise control?” – Jocko [17:15]

5. Habit 1: Wake Up Earlier

• [19:00 – 21:30]
  • Get up earlier than normal, ideally at the same time every day.

    “If you get to the battlefield first, you’re going to win.” – Jocko, paraphrasing Sun Tzu [21:00]

6. Habit 2: Physical Activity—Every Morning

• [21:31 – 26:00]

  • Echo and Jocko discuss their own routines.
  • Doesn’t matter what you do: just do something physical as your first act.
  • Benefits: Clarity, mood, energy, health.
  • For non-morning lifters, at least go for a walk, some yoga, or burpees.

  “We’re waking up in the morning, and regardless of what happens, we’re doing some physical activity.” – Jocko [23:11]

7. Habit 3: Prioritize and Execute

• [26:01 – 34:44]

  • Night before, write down the 3-5 unique tasks to accomplish the next day.
  • If forming a habit, check boxes for everything—even brushing teeth!
  • Strategic tasks should come first: do something that builds toward big goals before tending to short, urgent matters.

  “Instead of doing the most immediate problem first thing, do the most strategic—because if you do them first, they will get done eventually. If you don’t, they never get done.” – Jocko [32:00]

8. Habits 4 to 8: The Other DEF Reset Disciplines

• Habit 4: Hydrate (lots of water, especially before meals)

• Habit 5: Clean Fuel (eat quality food; meal prep encouraged)

• Habit 6: No Sugar-Coated Lies (removes junk food/sweets—clear your pantry)

• Habit 7: Read or Write (at least 6–10 minutes daily; journaling recommended for accountability and reflection)

  “Man, I look back…if I had just written down what I did every day—even if just ‘Did four parachute jumps’—I’d be so stoked.” – Jocko [44:36]

• Habit 8: Remember/Reflect (practice gratitude for those who came before you; fold into your writing)

9. On Habits and Self-Negotiation

• [28:45 – 31:02]

  • Both discuss how easily we negotiate ourselves out of commitments, using an example of morning surfing with “Stoner”:
    • They instituted a rule: if you show up and don't surf, you must swim around the pier (much less fun).
    • They never bailed on surfing.

  “If we’re gonna go surfing, we shouldn’t be able to talk ourselves out of it.” – Jocko [30:44]

10. Simple, Scalable Workouts & Tools

• [51:16 – 55:16]
  • Jocko created 30 simple workout routines for DEF Reset participants, requiring minimal or no equipment (first 15 days equipment-free; next 15 using a pull-up bar or rings).
  • Offers practical hacks for people in urban settings or with limited resources to find pull-up alternatives (e.g., scaffolding, parks).

11. Giveaways & Community Support

• [55:16 – end]
  • DEF Reset prizes: gear, a trip to San Diego for the Echelon Front Muster, and a training day with Jocko.
  • Companion app and habit trackers (developed by Jade Charles) help participants track progress.
  • Inclusive and family-friendly—kids can participate.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Regret:

  “That statement—‘If I only had one more minute’—landed on me, because that’s the way life goes. We are going to run out of time.” – Jocko [08:45]

• On Wasted Opportunity:

  “I wasted time, now time doth waste me.” – Shakespeare, quoted by Jocko [09:50]

• On The Power of Discipline:

  “This is one of the things I learned in SEAL training…stop thinking about it and go get it done.” – Jocko [17:45]

• On “DEF Reset” Simplicity:

  “A month of doing what you’re supposed to do. Everybody knows how to get better…yet we just go with, ‘hey, I’ll put it off, I’ll do it tomorrow.’ That can happen for 39 years.” – Jocko [17:05]

• On Self-Negotiation:

  “We made that deal: If we’re not going to surf, we’ll just swim around the pier, no big deal. Number of times we swam around the pier: zero. Because we always put our suits on and just freaking paddled out.” – Jocko [31:02]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Jocko’s daughter’s BJJ match and "one more minute" story: [00:08–09:50]
• Reflection on Richard II and time: [09:50–10:30]
• Time audit and year-end reflection: [10:31–14:00]
• Falling behind the power curve / criticality of small habits: [14:01–16:00]
• DEF Reset Introduction and Habits 1–3: [16:01–34:44]
• Physical fitness, strategic prioritization, and negotiation with self: [21:31–31:02]
• DEF Reset Habits 4–8 (hydration, nutrition, no sugar, reading/writing, reflection): [34:44–49:47]
• On journaling and the value of personal history: [44:36–49:47]
• DEF Reset workouts, equipment tips, and community: [51:16–55:16]
• Prizes, support tools, and family involvement in DEF Reset: [55:16–end]

Tone and Style Notes

• Jocko: Blunt, intense, motivational, occasionally philosophical and personal, military analogies, pragmatic.
• Echo: Conversation partner, sometimes self-deprecating, provides relatable anecdotes and asks clarifying questions.

In Summary

This episode is a dense motivational framework—anchored in the story of Jocko’s daughter—reminding listeners that time is both finite and non-negotiable. Through practical steps, memorable stories, and the DEF Reset challenge, Jocko and Echo provide a playbook for ending the year with ownership and starting the next with renewed discipline.

How to Get Involved

• Visit thedefreset.com for full DEF Reset resources.
• Track habits via the DEF Reset app (by Jade Charles) or downloadable PDF.
• Join the broadcast Instagram channel for workouts, challenges, and support.
• Participate solo, with family, or even involve your kids.
• Prizes and community events make participation engaging and rewarding.

Final Word:

“The clock is ticking, and every breath is another second gone. And no matter what you do, and no matter how bad you want, you will not get one more minute. So do not waste your time. Get up, get out, and get after it.” – Jocko [final message]