EVER thought about how you can change the world? Well, it turns out you start by making your bed. Such is the advice given by Admiral William Raven, an ex-Navy Seal (for 36 years no less) who once ran the United States Joint Special Operations Command.
It’s a literal instruction, not a metaphorical one. He really is suggesting that when you get up in the morning you should take five minutes to tuck in the sheets, fix the pillows and leave it neat and tidy; looking fresh and ready to climb back into at the end of the day. By doing so you will have accomplished the first task of the day and put yourself in a frame of mind where you are ready to do even more. It also gives you a sense of control; it’s something you can start and finish quite quickly and see the end result immediately. It’s something you can accomplish, tick off, feel proud of and move on.
It’s the morning kick start, the little nudge you need to become active and what’s even better is that the principle can be applied in a variety of different situations.
Think about the times when you are just not ‘feeling’ things at work. You swing the legs out of your bed each morning and while you are nowhere near the stage where you want to quit your job, you maybe feel you are just in a bit of a funk, finding it that little bit harder to get motivated and ready for action.
In that case maybe you start the day by making your bed at work (that line is figurative by the way); you the get to the office and organise your diary, you read your emails, you make a list of what you need to do that day and hey presto, you have now just accomplished three tasks and maybe that gives you the spur to go on and something from that list you just made. It’s about creating that mindset where you feel productive.
Think about having to go to football training, or the gym. You might feel tired, out of sorts, downright lazy and just can’t be bothered. The simple act of gathering your kit up; socks, shorts, boots, jersey, towel, whatever into a bag the first step. It’s then much easier to come home from work and go out the door to training if you’ve already packed your things. Perhaps you even pack the night before and just grab it on the way out that morning.
Either way, I’ll bet you are much more likely to go and do the exercise it everything is sitting ready for you and doesn’t cost you any time at the point of leaving.
Maybe you are studying for an exam. Setting out your books, notepad, pens and so forth could be the first task accomplished before you start to read.
Making your bed reminds you that the little things matter; the cycling community talked about ‘marginal gains’, where each little increment added up to one big piece of progress. Al Pacino talked about a ‘game of inches’ in Any Given Sunday. It’s the same principle.
What’s more; it’s habit forming. Having said that, the opposite is also true; if you start a cycle leaving your bed unmade, then you start leave your clothes on the floor, next thing the bin is overflowing and you are living in a pigsty. It’s important therefore that you set the tone, the note for the day, establish the right approach and the rest will flow.
And finally, at the very least, as Raven suggested, if you have had a terrible day, where nothing has gone right, at least you will be coming home to a made bed and perhaps giving yourself that little crumb of comfort that tomorrow will be better.
:: Barry Shannon (bshannon@cayan.com) is HR director at Cayan in Belfast
