It begins with the little things we do or don’t do first thing in the morning
Okay, so I’m going to head you off at the pass so to speak and say just go with me a little on this week’s thing to quit. On the surface you may say, “How can this inconsequential thing make any kind of difference in my day? How can this even be important to my mindset as I head out the door? And how in the world can it end my day on a better note?” I will grant you all of those questions. They’re legitimate. All I can tell you is how my experience with quitting this one small habit has affected me. Because quitting NOT making my bed in the morning has meant more to me than I expected.
I realize that for some, admitting they don’t make their bed in the morning could be embarrassing. For me? Meh, just mildly so. Just so you know, I have no excuses, believe me. My mother raised me right. Heck my sister even gave a 4H demonstration on how to make a bed that I saw countless times as she honed it for judging. So, I know how it’s done but it’s just always seemed like a bit of wasted effort. I mean, you’re going to just mess it up again in less than 24 hours, right? Why go to the bother? That’s 3 minutes you could sleep longer! Except, here’s the deal, making your bed, along with not hitting the Snooze can start you off on exactly the right foot every day. What it amounts to is an immediate, easy “win” that tells the inner you you’re already accomplishing things, being awesome and you’ve just gotten out of bed! Who knows what you will just continue to knock out of the park today?
Once you’ve had your shower and are dressed and headed out the door or towards breakfast, that made bed reminds you once again as you pass by just how stupendously today will go. Having left your area in order so to speak encourages you to continue in that same manner. Heck, you might even put your dishes and your coffee cup in the dishwasher! I know, slow down, let’s not get crazy, but imagine the possibilities. The thing is I can foresee you arriving to work and tackling that sticky email situation right off the bat because you’re so buoyed by your early morning success. Getting the ball rolling immediately has this kind of snowball effect, but what about the end of your day?
If you’re like me, once you finally hit the pillow at the end of the day you’ve had it. Life goes pretty fast anymore and keeping up is exhausting. Usually when I hit the hay all I want to do is lie down and relax. Lucky for me I made the bed so many hours ago (it’s like light years some days) and I don’t have to struggle and wrestle the covers into place. Sure, it sounds like a little thing but imagine how nice it would be just to slip under the sheet and blankets and not have a foot hanging out or the comforter bunched up around your neck. Wouldn’t that be relaxing and a nice end to another busy day? I think it would.
So, this Thursday I quit not making my bed. I realize it’s a little thing but we all need the little things. Because little things lump together to become big things and big things affect how we begin and get through and end our day. And wouldn’t doing all those things just a little bit better be a nice thing?
I know, so, so many things! I hope this is one small thing you’ll try. Who knows, it just might have a positive impact on your day. If you think someone else could benefit also, please share this with them.
Every week I write about life things, big and small, and how they affect us. If you would like to read more, click here to go to my blog’s home page. Once you’ve read a bit or if you really liked this post, please subscribe. Subscribing is free and easy and means you will get an email on Saturdays with links to the week’s posts. You can subscribe by clicking this. And please don’t worry, I never sell or share emails so you won’t get a bunch of spam.