“Every morning in basic SEAL training, my instructors, who at the time were all Vietnam veterans, would show up in my barracks room and the first thing they would inspect was your bed.
If you did it right, the corners would be square, the covers pulled tight, the pillow centered just under the headboard and the extra blanket folded neatly at the foot of the rack—rack—that’s Navy talk for bed.
It was a simple task—mundane at best. But every morning we were required to make our bed to perfection. It seemed a little ridiculous at the time, particularly in light of the fact that were aspiring to be real warriors, tough battle hardened SEALs—but the wisdom of this simple act has been proven to me many times over.
If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another.
By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter.
If you can’t do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.
And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made—that you made—and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.
If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.”
Jacob Wagner• 4027d ago
Navy SEALS Do This One Simple Thing Every Morning to Start a Productive Day
How do you change the world? Start off by making your bed.
How do you change the world?
Start off by making your bed.
That’s the advice given by former Navy SEAL and Admiral William H. McRaven, now the chancellor of the University of Texas at Austin, in a university commencement speech last year.
In his speech, McRaven explained the wisdom behind making your bed every day:
The simple act of making your bed in the morning can snowball into you accomplishing bigger, more difficult tasks throughout the day, and ultimately in your life. It works for Navy SEALs, so you should now put it to work for you.
