| Similar comments from a University of Texas, Austin commencement speech by Adm. McRaven [1]: "Every morning in basic SEAL training, my instructors, who at the time were all Vietnam veterans, would show up in my barracks room and the first thing they would inspect was your bed. If you did it right, the corners would be square, the covers pulled tight, the pillow centered just under the headboard and the extra blanket folded neatly at the foot of the rack—rack—that’s Navy talk for bed. It was a simple task—mundane at best. But every morning we were required to make our bed to perfection. It seemed a little ridiculous at the time, particularly in light of the fact that were aspiring to be real warriors, tough battle hardened SEALs—but the wisdom of this simple act has been proven to me many times over. If you make your bed every morning 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." [1]: http://www.utexas.edu/news/2014/05/16/admiral-mcraven-commen... |
Personally, a method like this works for me. On days where I make the effort to wake up earlier and get in some exercise/a workout, I find I'm more prepared and motivated to handle the day. Of course, there is the tangible physical benefit, but there's also a psychological one as well - having accomplished Just One Thing, the momentum builds and you can feel more confident to handle the day - it's like a multiplier effect. (Now of course, there is a limit, a happy medium; if one were to wake up and run an ultra in the morning, one might not be so prepared for the rest of the day)
These are just my personal anecdotes, but I imagine there is some commonality across individuals. Find what works for you. Whether it's making your bed or a workout, it doesn't matter: The experience of breaking down jobs into manageable tasks will be extremely useful in any future situations.