I have to admit, I’m very spoiled! For many years, my husband has been making our bed every morning. And I mean EVERY morning!

It’s me who jumps out of bed, ready and excited to start my day. Shmuel, on the other hand, takes his time straightening the sheets, carefully pulling the blankets up and arranging the pillows. Sometimes I stand by and watch him at this task. He looks very centered and grounded, totally immersed in this daily activity. And I, of course, feel very supported and ?taken care of,? and I love starting my day knowing that I?ll be back to a well-organized bed at the end of the day.

Recently, I came across an incredible commencement speech that was given earlier this year at the University of Texas-Austin. by U.S. Navy Admiral William H. McRaven, the commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command. (here’s a link to the commencement speech video)

McRaven’says, ?Every morning in basic SEAL training, my instructors would show up in my barracks room and the first thing they would inspect was your bed.?

?If you make your bed every morning,? says Admiral McRaven, ?you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another.

By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter.

If you can’t do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.

And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made?that you made?and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.

If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.?

Often we feel that life is crazy and chaotic. The sense of chaos might be made up in our head, caused by overdoing, but a messy bed only adds to that. Starting the day with a well-made bed gives our ?waking room? a feeling of being ?put together,? eliminating chaos, both physically and mentally.

As part of my job as a life-coach and balance expert, I encourage people to start their day the way they want to live their day. Creating a morning routine that includes activities that make you feel the way you want to feel helps you transition intentionally into your day and prepares you to be more responsive and less reactionary throughout your day.

How you do everything is how you do anything.

In her book ?You can create an exceptional life?, Louise Hay recommends focusing on gratitude and saying the following affirmation when you first wake up and open your eyes:

?Good morning, bed, thank you for being so comfortable, I love you.?

It might feel strange to talk to your bed, but being grateful for its comfort and a good night’s sleep is a much more positive way to begin the day than saying: ?I don’t want to get up!?

We all want to start our day on a positive note! Accomplishing a simple task, like making a bed first thing in the morning, will set the stage for a well-organized and peaceful day.