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If you didn’t know - I’m a morning person. I wake up at 4 am Monday through Friday
and at 6 am on the weekends. I like waking up early because I can get some of my hardest
tasks done early before anyone else is awake and the distractions of the day begin. One
of the first things I do every single day, no matter what time I wake up, is make my
bed. This is weird - but hear me out. In a commencement speech at the University of Texas
in 2014, William H McRaven, a US Navy Admiral, shared one of his tips to a successful life
is making the bed every morning. By making your bed every day, you’re accomplishing
just one small and simple task. That sense of pride and accomplishment, no matter how
small, is the first step to a productive day.
Making your bed does a few amazing things that I’ll run through, but this podcast
isn’t about just making your bed. This is about productivity and discipline. Discipline
is one of the most important things you can learn and use in business and in life. It’s
the stuff that makes a college dropout into a successful millionaire. Discipline is the
difference between a college football player and an NFL player. Discipline is what takes
you from average to successful. And discipline is grown through small decisions. Every habit
you develop, every choice you make, every task you complete can either grow your discipline
or fight against it. Making your bed is a small, quick step to building discipline and
making every day more productive.
Making your bed makes it easier to not crawl back
into it. If you’re trying to wake up earlier and be productive in the mornings, having
your room be a little more clean is one easy step to success in the mornings.
In the Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, he says “Making your bed every morning is correlated
with better productivity, a greater sense of well-being and stronger skills at sticking
with a budget” - your bed being made will not magically bring you more customers or
fix your bank account, but it does lead to better habits in your life and
a more disciplined mind. Making the bed keeps the dust, hair and other
allergens away from your sheets. A bed that’s made also helps your room look cleaner. The
rest of your room could be spotless but an unmade bed makes the whole room look half-finished.
Making
the bed is the first step to a more clutter-free living space.
Personally, I wake up, get my coffee started and take one minute to make the bed. By the
time the coffee is done, I’m sitting at my table ready to start the miracle morning
(more on this in future episodes because I’m a HUGE fan of this morning routine).
I’m going to end this episode with a book recommendation. I’m a huge book reader,
this year I’ve been reading a book a week (technically I’m listening to a book a week
with Audible, but you get the idea). This week I want to recommend that you read Power
of Habit by Charles Duhigg. It’s an incredible book and a great way to start building better
habits and working on
your discipline.