Last weekend I was browsing the Sunday paper when I saw a listing for the book, “Make Your Bed” by Navy Seal trained Admiral William H. McRaven. It peaked my attention. I have always believed that making your bed in the morning was an important ritual. Both my parents served in WWII. My Dad served in the Army Air Corps and my Mom was a WAC. Mom taught me to make my bed the “Army Way” with hospital corners. Even after a foot infection and surgery at age 11, I remember hopping on one foot as I tried to make both sides of my bed. A few years ago after bunion surgery, making my bed remained an important ritual.
For me, an unmade bed is synonymous with an unmade mind. In his book, Admiral McRaven states that as the first task of the day, making your bed demonstrates discipline, attention to detail, and a sense of accomplishment. For me those early morning rituals and accomplishments are a good way to start the day. Even as I recovered from bunion surgery I retained the early morning ritual of going to the gym, on crutches, to maintain my upper body strength.
Making your bed is also something that Marsha Sinetar mentioned in her book “Elegant Choices, Healing Choices”. For a depressed client who recently lost this job, she prescribed that he make his bed in the morning and that he keep his house clean and tidy.
For my executive coaching clients and those in transition, I recommend that they clean out their office. Try it. Throw away outdated materials and de-clutter and reorganize your space. This helps to clear out ( de-clutter) your mind so you can focus on what you need to do to move forward. I recently reconnected with a friend who, many years ago, had referred her entrepreneur husband to me for help. He was blocked and needed some help evaluating his options and determining his next project. She reminded me that I gave him instructions to clean out his office, and that we had also discussed real estate investment as a possible option for him. It turns out that this strategy worked for him, and he became a successful real estate investor.
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About the Author:
Deborah Brown (Debbie) founded Atlanta based D&B Consulting, Inc. in 1993 to provide executive career and leadership coaching, and executive career transitions and outplacement services to organizations and individuals. She is a Master Practitioner of the MBTI personality assessment and a Certified Social + Emotional Intelligence Coach® through the Institute of Social + Emotional Intelligence® of Denver, Colorado. Debbie earned the SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) certification.