Board 8 > Make Your Bed

(+) Yeah! (+)

You may have seen this commencement speech from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014:

https://youtu.be/pxBQLFLei70

The speaker is Admiral William McRaven. He draws from his experience in US Navy basic SEAL training to illustrate how small decisions and acts can have huge effects on people's lives.

This speech was so popular that he published a longer form of it into a book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31423133-make-your-bed

I'm here to testify that the simple act of reading this book and following its advice has started the process of giving my life a total make-over these past 3 weeks.

January 24th was day 1 for me. I've made my bed every day since then.

I've read a book every day since then as well. McRaven's book took 10 days at a chapter a day, then I moved on to something else.

I've woken up (and, more importantly, gotten out of bed) at 7:30 every day since day 17. Prior to that I got up around 9:45-ish or just whenever.

I've done push-ups every morning since day 18. My chest is starting to feel better and stronger and wants to keep going beyond the number I set as my initial low bar, so I've increased it a little.

None of these things on its own sounds all that life changing but the culmination of it all has made me calmer, less anxious, happier, feeling like I can do anything. I'm a bed maker now. I'm a reader now. I'm someone who works out now. I'm someone who always improves myself now.

When stuff this good happens to ya, ya just gotta tell people about it.

Hate to be a downer. But you've done something for what, 4 weeks and trying to call it life changing?

This is just poor shilling of things you could make up your mind to do without having to rea d abook.

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I did not make my bed this morning

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Good to hear you improved things.

I tried to keep up with small stuff like that myself but I wasn't as successful, it's not always helpful unfortunately.

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Making your bed is the dumbest shit ever.

Getting up at a consistent time every morning? Cool.

Reading a book every day? Cool.

Working out every day? Cool.

Making your bed??? Fuck outta here with that shit.

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In a chaotic world, making your bed is an affirmation that you can bring about some small measure of order, that there is some part of your life that you have control over.

Some people would kill to have that kind of control. Some people kill to have that kind of control. Make your bed.

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Dude, I don't mean to downplay your progress, but you sound like one of those self-help people that are abundant in certain circles of the internet.

...And you would have sounded more convincing citing an excerpt from Atomic Habits.

But I don't want to sound like a total asshole, so good going for yourself! Be careful of the burnouts.

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I've noticed B8 really hates when people take steps to better themselves for some reason.

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StealThisSheen posted...

I've noticed B8 really hates when people take steps to better themselves for some reason.

Steps are good, no one is downplaying the goodness of these steps.

But the topic definitely played like an infomercial.

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Keep us informed of your progress. Right now is a little too early to sway most of us, but I'd love to know how you're doing after another 3 weeks.

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Just watched the speech. I can see how it would be inspiring. Maybe tomorrow I'll make the bed and see how it goes.

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red13n posted...

Hate to be a downer. But you've done something for what, 4 weeks and trying to call it life changing?

This is just poor shilling of things you could make up your mind to do without having to rea d abook.

This comment is hilarious.

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I'm interested! Is this item still available?

/s

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Utterly bizarre to see people coming in here with negativity in the face of someone who's working to improve their life. Glad you found something that's working for you!

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redrocket posted...

Making your bed is the dumbest shit ever.

Getting up at a consistent time every morning? Cool.

Reading a book every day? Cool.

Working out every day? Cool.

Making your bed??? Fuck outta here with that shit.

i've held this belief my entire life, pfft making beds who has time for that

but making your bed actually does wonders to improve your comfort sleeping. leaving blankets in a tangled mess from tossing and turning actually sucks. so leaving them that way out of childish refusal to do a simple task or just laziness is pretty immature

but i still don't do it

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Heck yeah man, keep us updated

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There's one other note I should have thought to add here.

After about 10 days of this, I brought it up in conversation with my cousin who is about 45. Married with kids. His eyes lit up and suddenly he was the enthusiastic one. He told me this speech inspired him 4 years ago and that he has made his bed every day since then. He's run a 50k since then. He weighed 290 pounds and currently weighs 210. He wakes up at 4:30am every day. And he's in my corner over here texting me all the time about it now.

Good for you!

Not going to watch the video nor do I care to, but positive changes for anyone in any way that doesn't negatively impact anyone else is always good.

The gist of what you are getting at is just discipline. Motivation is fleeting, discipline creates structure, structure creates balance, ect. Small or big ways to create any sort of discipline is generally a good thing.

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Sorozone posted...

discipline

Bingo.

Good job. Now keep doing it forever.

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turbopuns3 posted...

following its advice has started the process

I'd like to highlight this for the negative Nancies of the thread. Phrasing. I didn't proclaim I've undergone metamorphosis and am saint-like now.

but making your bed actually does wonders to improve your comfort sleeping. leaving blankets in a tangled mess from tossing and turning actually sucks. so leaving them that way out of childish refusal to do a simple task or just laziness is pretty immature

I just have a comforter that I drape over myself and its very comfortable. the concept of a made bed is a scam invented by corporations to sell you more sheets

making beds is for sheep
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azuarc posted...

I'd love to know how you're doing after another 3 weeks.

Reminder set for 3 weeks.

I don't toss or turn at all when I sleep, so for me, making the bed is as simple as pulling the sheet and comforter up over where I was sleeping and straightening it out a little

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MoogleKupo141 posted...

making beds is for sheep

And Navy SEALS who do silly stuff like capture Saddam Hussein.

I can't make my bed cause my fianc sleeps in longer than I do.

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turbopuns3 posted...

And Navy SEALS who do silly stuff like capture Saddam Hussein.

navy seals love taking orders. he only captured saddam Hussein because some other guy with a cooler coat told him to do it

navy seals more like navy sheep
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Sorozone posted...

I can't make my bed cause my fianc sleeps in longer than I do.

The message in the speech and book is actually "start each day with a task completed" but that's a less catchy title for sure

turbopuns3 posted...

The message in the speech and book is actually "start each day with a task completed" but that's a less catchy title for sure

Oh I know, I'm just joking. I get up every day at 4 AM to do my workouts, then I get my coffee and get ready for work, been doing it for a few months now.

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StealThisSheen posted...

I've noticed B8 really hates when people take steps to better themselves for some reason.

Haha yeah, this. Self-discipline is easily the #1 character trait you need for success--beyond intelligence, knowledge, etc.--and that angers a lot of people here who have much of the latter but none of the former.

turbopuns3 posted...

The message in the speech and book is actually "start each day with a task completed" but that's a less catchy title for sure

This is a good message.

But lol making beds.

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StealThisSheen posted...

I've noticed B8 really hates when people take steps to better themselves for some reason.

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It's funny, I had started making my bed everyday a while back and I do think it makes a difference.

For the longest time I was also on Team "why make the bed, I'm just going to get back into it in a few hours".

But with this COVID stuff, I'm now at home all the time. I find that making the bed is my impetus to truly "start" the day and not stay in PJs all day. I make the bed (it's certainly not military level immaculate though), I change to non-bed clothes, and I brush my teeth. And now that I've done all that, I've set my mind right to be productive that day.

Plus, at the end of the day, there's a certain satisfaction to getting into a made bed.

To the naysayers, I CHALLENGE you to do this; make your bed every day for a year. I can almost guarantee you will be better off for it.

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Bartzyx posted...

I don't toss or turn at all when I sleep, so for me, making the bed is as simple as pulling the sheet and comforter up over where I was sleeping and straightening it out a little

oh, that's pretty convenient. within 1 to 3 days of perfectly making my bed, it is as if a tornado came through my room.

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I refuse your challenge, thanks.

Now I CHALLENGE you to produce a revival of Into the Woods and the Pirates on Penzance on Broadway and have them run for at least 5 years. I can't watch them but I promise I'll watch any legally available clips from performances on TV shows or award shows.


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How fitting that the one who turns up in here interested and eager, you all call him...guru of gurus...

Wow these people suck for belittling your gains. Good for you man. Keep it up and keep getting better!

Seanchan posted...

But with this COVID stuff, I'm now at home all the time. I find that making the bed is my impetus to truly "start" the day and not stay in PJs all day. I make the bed (it's certainly not military level immaculate though), I change to non-bed clothes, and I brush my teeth. And now that I've done all that, I've set my mind right to be productive that day.

I mean, you should be able to get the exact same effect by just brushing your teeth and changing clothes. The bed making step is just extraneous.

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redrocket posted...

I mean, you should be able to get the exact same effect by just brushing your teeth and changing clothes. The bed making step is just extraneous.

Yes, which does get back to the more general idea of "start each day with a task completed". Turns out if I do one of those I'm motivated to do them all.

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Does making your bed make you feel capable of streaming consistently?

congrats puns, but can you see why kids love cinnamon toast crunch?


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Lot of people hate someone being happy

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Classic b8

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friend brigade rolling up in force

didn't like my own attitude in my last post

How much do you make your bed? Do you fully tuck it in, or just pull up the covers so it's mostly in a semblance of being made?

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I just position the pillows then straighten the sheet and comforter so that they're square and relatively centered. not all that meticulous

Sorry, I should not have said that. I'm glad it's working for you. But I don't need any more challenges in my life right now. I hope you'll keep getting better.

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Are you talking to me? I'm not challenging anyone to do anything.

I think I put too much stock into the idea of letting the book title be the topic title. It sounds like I'm commanding people lol. When "Make Your Bed" is on the cover of a book it's probably less offensive.