Make Your Bed Summary And Review

About the Author of “Make Your Bed”

Admiral William H. McRaven is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL who served in the military for over 37 years. He is also a former chancellor of the University of Texas System, where he oversaw 14 institutions and more than 200,000 students.

Born in Pinehurst, North Carolina in 1955, McRaven attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a degree in journalism.

He went on to earn a master’s degree in public administration from the Naval Postgraduate School and a master’s degree in national security affairs from the Naval War College.

During his military career, McRaven commanded special operations forces at every level, including the U.S. Special Operations Command.

The author has also written other books.

Here are the other popular books written by the author:

• Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations
• The Hero Code: Lessons Learned from Lives Well Lived

Bullet Summary: Make Your Bed by Admiral William McRaven

• Make your bed as soon as you wake up to develop self-discipline and a sense of accomplishment.
• Realize the importance of brotherhood and teamwork in life by cultivating true friendships and helping others.
• Accept that life is unfair for everybody and focus on finding solutions instead of complaining.
• Take risks and venture into the unknown to expand your potential and avoid following the same boring path.
• Develop mental strength and courage to stand up against injustice and become stronger.

Make Your Bed Summary (Detailed)

Navy SEAL training is among the most challenging military training in the world.

Becoming a Navy SEAL is not an easy feat. It demands both physical and mental toughness.

The author of this book, Admiral McRaven, served as a United States Navy SEAL for 37 years and commanded at every level of the special operations unit.

This book shares valuable lessons that the author learned throughout his challenging career.

Without further ado, let’s dive right into this book summary and start learning.

Lesson #1: Never underestimate the importance of doing small things right.

Most people watch motivational videos on the internet and realize that there is a burning desire in them to do something big.

Which is great.

However, when it comes to achieving significant results in life, there are numerous factors that determine your level of success.

We often fail to recognize that significant life events do not always occur randomly.

There are usually a series of small actions that bring those big results.

In most cases, successful individuals have worked hard and developed self-discipline over time.

Great things often start with a small decision and the belief that you can accomplish something great in life.

The biggest issue is that many people only imagine themselves improving in life, but they never take the necessary small steps towards achieving that improvement.

Taking responsibility for your daily routine is the easiest way to grow every day.

Try to accomplish simple tasks first thing in the morning after waking up.

The author suggests making your bed as soon as you wake up.

You might be wondering how such a simple thing can help you grow in life.

But there are many benefits of doing this.

For example, it can give a sense of accomplishment and thus motivate you to do more things in life.

Mentally tough individuals never wait for motivation.

They keep “Just do it” attitude when they don’t feel motivated.

That’s what separates winners from losers.

Overthinking is a waste of time.

You don’t always have to feel a strong motivation to do something.

Winners don’t rely too much on their feelings.

Most people want to have that fantastic mental and physical strength, but they aren’t willing to sacrifice their comfort.

Over time, they train their minds to avoid pain and strict discipline.

You can turn this backwards.

Make your bed every day. Wake up early.

Follow some strict routine for a few days.

And see that you will feel more confident.

The more you challenge yourself, the tougher you become.

This also builds your self-esteem.

No task is small if it’s helping you in the long term.

It’s usually the simple, boring things that help you build discipline.

And we don’t need to discuss how important discipline is in life, right?

Perform small activities every day that test your patience and help you cultivate discipline.

And within a few months, you will notice a significant difference in your confidence.

Lesson #2: Realize the importance of brotherhood and teamwork in life.

No man is an island.

The fact of life is that it’s damn hard.

The modern generation focuses too much on individuality.

For many people today, money and success are everything.

Successful people often inflate their egos and start thinking that they are omnipotent. However, they only deceive themselves by believing this.

Any material success can go away.

Or who knows what kind of weird problem we might find ourselves in the future.

Generally speaking, if you are alone and do not have real friends who can help you during hard times, things will be much harder for you.

Is it easier to sail a ship in a storm with more people helping, right?

Most problems that can’t be solved alone can be solved with teamwork.

It never hurts to have more people on your side.

Just make sure they are your real friends.

What you need is to have a few quality friends who won’t abandon you in tough situations.

True strength is when you become reliable for others.

Don’t just seek favors from other people.

We all have seen people who just act friendly as long as they are on the receiving end, but when you ask them for favors, they start giving silly excuses about how they can’t help you.

Don’t be like that person.

Start helping others without expecting much from them.

This is liberating.

And trust this, if you do this right, other people would actually want to help you.

There is nothing wrong with relying on others in hard times.

People who share hardships together become great friends for life.

Be there for your friends if you can.

Don’t think that “Oh, my time is more important than theirs.”

Nobody is too busy anyway.

Lesson #3: Make peace with the fact that life is so unfair for everybody.

If your health is alright, you have a roof over your head, you have friends to share stories with, you can do simple things in life, you are doing better than many people in the world.

Yet, most people are never satisfied with their lives.

You’ll always find another person who wants to live that same life you are living right now.

This all sounds weird, doesn’t it?

But that only explains how messed up we all are in our heads.

And it should not come as a surprise to you.

The truth is: Life is unfair.

And it has always been like that.

No generation ever said that that life was fair to them.

If you expect it to be fair, you need to change your perspective.

Just keep in mind that: Although the game of life unfair, it’s not just unfair for you specifically, it’s unfair for everybody.

When you look at life from one angle, you might think that the odds are not in your favor.

But as soon as you change your angle, you realize that some odds are in your favor.

A lot of it depends on your perception of life.

Realizing and accepting that life is unfair helps us become more mature.

When you completely accept this reality, you waste less time complaining and more time finding solutions.

How you react to your problems determines how you feel.

And how you feel determines how you will react to your problems.

Most people will always blame their circumstances. They all unconsciously get stuck in a loop where getting out of it only gets harder as the time passes.

The more you blame your circumstances, the less control you can keep.

The author shares the story of Martin.

He used to ride bicycle every day. But on an unfortunate day, another cyclist crashed onto him. This put Martin in a wheelchair.

Most people would give up after facing such circumstances. But Martin didn’t blame his situation.

He took the control of his life and became a renowned painter.

Isn’t it motivating?

However, the point is not to find motivation here.

Imagine if he had continued to blame his circumstances. He would never have taken steps to change his life.

Did life treat him unfairly? Yeah, of course it did.

Life does the same to everybody in different ways.

So, never complain. Keep moving forward.

Lesson #4: Take the risk to venture into the unknown, as you may strike gold.

Ever thought about why you get butterflies when going to unknown places — when you do something you’ve never done before?

Think about how we get nervous when we are asked to deliver a speech in public.

That’s your body’s natural self-preservation mechanism.

We are biologically wired to seek safety.

Safety is a good thing.

But when it prevents us from venturing into the unknown, it limits our potential.

The unknown is dangerous, isn’t it?

We prefer to walk with people we know instead of strangers.

Just think about it.

You must have many friends who aren’t any good. But you still hang out with them because there is a familiarity bias.

We associate ourselves with people who think like us.

And avoid putting us among those who think differently.

We tend to become uncomfortable when we can’t predict the future.

All of us do this subconsciously.

But consequently, we tend to follow the same boring path that has already been paved for us.

Imagine living a different lifestyle.

Chances are, you would want to live a lifestyle that you already know.

And what we already know becomes boring after a certain time.

If you want to have thrill in your life, you should keep doing new things.

Try reading about a topic that wasn’t in your college syllabus.

Try traveling solo or visiting a place you never thought you would visit.

Try speaking in public.

Put yourself in uncomfortable situations from time to time.

Lesson #5: Become so strong that even bullies avoid messing with you.

The author talks about how most bullies can sense fear.

If you look at the behavior of bullies, you can learn so many insights about how the world works in general.

Weak people are always exploited, either directly or indirectly, by strong people.

The world operates on the principle of survival of the fittest.

Bullies only bully because they sense that the person they are bullying is weak.

The interesting thing is that in most cases, the person being bullied is not physically weak. Instead, it is their mind that is weak.

To become stronger and win the game, you have to become mentally strong.

Develop courage in yourself.

Without courage, you won’t be able to do it.

If you do not learn to stand up against injustice, you will lose your self-esteem. This, in turn, will encourage the bad guys to cause you trouble.

You will not develop courage overnight.

Practice developing it in your daily life.

Gradually, you will become more confident in your abilities and strengths.

Make Your Bed Quotes

Here are five popular quotes from Make Your Bed by Admiral William McRaven:

1. “If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.”
2. “Life is a struggle and the potential for failure is ever present, but those who live in fear of failure, or hardship, or embarrassment will never achieve their potential. Without pushing your limits, without occasionally sliding down the rope headfirst, without daring greatly, you will never know what is truly possible in your life.”
3. “It is easy to blame your lot in life on some outside force, to stop trying because you believe fate is against you. It is easy to think that where you were raised, how your parents treated you, or what school you went to is all that determines your future. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
4. “The most important thing that I did throughout my entire Navy career, and even my entire life, was to always be a good listener, to be a sponge, and to learn from those around me.”
5. “Life is not fair, and there will be times when you will be knocked down. But if you stay focused on your goal and persevere through the storm, you will be stronger when you come out the other side.”

Make Your Bed Book Review

Last update on 2022-10-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon

Make Your Bed is a book about the ten lessons Admiral William H. McRaven learned from his time as a Navy SEAL and how they can be applied to everyday life. The book is structured around each of these lessons, which are presented as actionable advice and illustrated with anecdotes from McRaven’s military career.

The lessons themselves are wide-ranging, covering everything from the importance of making your bed in the morning to the value of taking risks and persevering through failure.

Each chapter is concise and well-written, with McRaven’s experience and wisdom shining through in his writing.

Who is this book for?

• Students: The advice in this book is particularly relevant to students, who can benefit from the practical tips on how to achieve their goals and overcome obstacles. McRaven’s lessons on the importance of teamwork, discipline, and perseverance are also valuable for students who are looking to succeed academically.
• Businesspeople: The lessons in this book can be applied to any profession, but they are especially relevant to businesspeople who are looking to elevate their leadership skills. McRaven’s insights on the importance of setting goals, taking risks, and learning from failure can help businesspeople develop the mindset necessary to succeed in a competitive environment.
• People looking to make a positive change: Whether you’re struggling with a personal challenge or looking to make a positive change in your life, the lessons in this book can help. McRaven’s advice on the importance of taking small steps and persevering through adversity can inspire anyone to make a change for the better.

You can buy the book in your preferable format below.

Get the Audiobook: Listen free with Audible Trial

Get the Hardcover version: View price on Amazon

Get the Paperback version: View price on Amazon

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