{"id":4059,"date":"2020-05-19T06:30:42","date_gmt":"2020-05-19T06:30:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/?page_id=4059"},"modified":"2021-09-19T15:43:28","modified_gmt":"2021-09-19T15:43:28","slug":"make-your-bed-william-h-mcraven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/make-your-bed-william-h-mcraven\/","title":{"rendered":"Make Your Bed Summary (William H. McRaven)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Want to learn how from the best?

William McRaven<\/a> was a four-star US Navy Seal Admiral and distils his life advice into ten timeless pieces of wisdom to help us live the good life.

Based on a commencement speech (which you can watch below), these life principles have allowed McRaven to succeed in his career as a Special Forces supervisor.

So if you’re a leader looking to inspire<\/a> or want to turn your own life around, the Make Your Bed summary is required reading.

Main takeaway: Little things, repeated often, can often make the most difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Start your day with a task completed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

“If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In military movies, bootcamp scenes invariably focus on recruits making their beds with the utmost precision.

In the author’s own training, failure to perform this ritual was punishable by the ‘sugar cookie’, whereby cadets dived into the ocean before rolling in hot sand.

This small task may seem benign and insignificant, but it’s actually an essential way to start the day.

By accomplishing any task first thing in the morning, however, easy, helps build momentum that we can carry into the next productive activity.

This ensures it’s easier to work our way down the to-do list, fostering a feeling of happiness and productivity.

A good start can also help us end the day in the right way and we can reflect with pride on that small achievement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. You can’t go it alone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

“If you want to change the world, find someone to help you paddle”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No man can make it through SEAL training or combat alone.

McRaven learnt this the hard way after suffering a serious parachute accident and receiving help from his wife during his months of recovery.

Find someone to share your life with and make as many friends as possible.

We all need people in life to help us through difficult times and any achievement depends on input from others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Only the size of your heart matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

“If you want to change the world, measure a person by the size of their heart”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When McRaven visited a recruitment centre to learn more about becoming a Navy Seal, he encountered a small man, frail in appearance, who turned out to be a Vietnam war hero.

Never make the mistake of judging someone other than by the size of their heart.

And before placing your confidence in them, ask yourself what you really know about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Life\u2019s not fair\u2014drive on!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

“If you want to change the world, get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often the sugar cookie punishment was inflicted without good reason, which taught McRaven an important lesson.

Don’t expect life to be fair and reasonable.

When you spend enough time running around with sand chafing your body, you realise it’s futile to resist facts and waste time and try to evade life’s challenges.

We’re all defined by our response to life’s unfairness. So pick yourself up and march on.<\/p>\n\n\n