Make Your Bed
The most straightforward lessons are sometimes the hardest to execute consistently.
Nothing in Make Your Bed, by retired Admiral William H. McRaven, is groundbreaking, but they are backed by McRaven’s stories from his military career, mainly from when he was with the SEALs. They are simple lessons you need to often hear so you can one day apply them when the situation presents itself.
Here are some of my favorite lessons:
Start your day with a task completed. McRaven suggests that you make your bed because this gives you a win for the day early in the day. One task accomplished has a domino effect, and soon another task will be knocked down. Long before I read this book, I saw McRaven’s University of Texas at Austin 2014 Commencement Address and implemented the daily bed-making routine.
“Who Dares Wins“ is the British Special Air Service’s motto and is a good reminder that accomplishments come from struggle and discomfort. McRaven writes:
“Life is a struggle, and the potential for failure is ever present, but those who live in fear of failure, or hardship, or embarrassment will never achieve their potential.”
Never, ever quit. During Hell Week, Navy SEAL candidates are put through a training program that is designed to make them quit. To end the pain and misery, all they have to do is to ring a bell three times, and they’re out of the program. McRaven tells you, “don’t ever, ever ring the bell”:
“Life is full of difficult times. But someone out there always has it worse than you do. If you fill your days with pity, sorrowful for the way you have been treated, bemoaning your lot in life, blaming your circumstances on someone or something else, then life will be long and hard. If, on the other hand, you refuse to give up on your dreams, stand tall and strong against the odds—then lie will be what you make of it—and you can make it great. Never, ever, ring the bell!”
Don’t ever quit reading this book. It’s a book you can get through in one or two readings (only 125 pages). It’s the type of book you read at the beginning of the year to ground yourself and realign your mindset. I plan to add it to my regular rotation.