A small habit change can make a big difference – Just make your bed!
It’s amazing how just one small change of habit can really make a difference to your life.
As a teacher I had a routine, never mind saved by the bell I lived by it and followed my timetable, it was great being on autopilot. However when I retired and set up my own business I realised what a loose cannon I could be without structure and autopilot as a default. I had tried various ways of changing but nothing was really happening and lie ins were becoming a bit too frequent for my liking.
So one day I was lying in bed over the Christmas period having a bit of a lie-in feeling generally unmotivated and as per my new naughty habits I was flicking through my phone. All the usual social media time vampires were on my list and I loved tiktok’s wonderful motivators. You know when they say “if you are seeing this don’t scroll, this message is meant for you”. Hmmmm!
Fed up with that narrative you would have thought I might have got out of bed, oh no that would be way too sensible, especially when I was on holiday!!! So instead I switched to YouTube and this video which I dismissed years ago reappeared. A voice in my head ironically suggested “if you are seeing this, this message is meant for you”, I allowed myself a wry smile!
It was the famous life lesson from Admiral McCraven about making your bed in the morning so it resonated a lot more with me at that moment. I decided that it was one small thing I could do for me because it was the right time for me to hear the message…and I actually listened!
It all made such perfect sense, as soon as you get out of bed you can have a quick win and achieve something by making your bed and that puts you in the right mindset for the start of the day. You get out of bed on a real positive because it’s very quick and simple to do and you have actually done something positive as soon as you get out of bed as opposed to just getting out of bed, having your breakfast and be sat there an hour having achieved nothing. Instead you have achieved something and that has a positive effect on your mental state and your motivational levels to attack much bigger tasks on that day. A further bonus is as Admiral McCraven says it’s really great because if you had a hard day you can go back to bed in the evening and when you go to your room you go to a lovely freshly made bed! Just think when you stay in a top hotel and they have a turndown service for your bed, it’s such a nice feeling! Well it works for me, and I have since become a convert preaching to all that will listen, and to be fair, they have benefitted as well. Having said that I haven’t yet managed to buy the New York Times best seller by the man himself, aptly titled “Make your bed – Small things that can change your life…. and maybe the world” but it’s on my list, and I won’t be reading it in bed!
Amanda Wheal – Amanda’s beautiful ceremonies.
19th January 2021 Photo credit Gabby K from Pexels