The awesome power of making the bed
December 8, 2009 by Marguerite Orane
Filed under Featured Posts, Observe
There are days that are very productive and some that are not. Some days, I declare with a real sense of accomplishment “It was a very good day”. Then there are others when I review my list of “things to do” and see very little accomplished. Now, I know that if I do something once, I have the power to do it repeatedly. So I muse – what’s the difference between my productive days and my not so productive days?
There are a number of things – getting up early; spending quiet time in meditation and reflection; exercising; setting a clear list of priorities for the day; minimizing distractions. Yet, one of the biggest differences comes from a seemingly insignificant action – making my bed! At the end of my not so productive days I note that my bed is still unmade. I observe that on my productive days, I made my bed at the start of my morning. Why does this make a difference?
Making the bed signifies the end of the night and the beginning of the day. It says, “I am ready for this day”. It is a physical activity that gets energy flowing. As I shake out the sheets and fluff the pillows, the energy of rest and sleep dissipates. The room becomes fresh and alive. My surroundings are in order. My life is in order. The days when I don’t make the bed at all are those days when I am late or feel the need to rush. Yet, that is exactly the time when I most need to do it, to bring a sense of order and calm.
How I approach the task also makes a difference. Recalling admonitions of my mother each morning when I was growing up to make the bed, sometimes I will just hastily throw the comforter over. The bed looks made, but beneath the appearance of order is a crumpled jumble of sheets. These become the days when I busily do the less important things on my list. My productive days are those when I make the bed properly – sheets shaken out, smoothed over, neatly folded under; comforter spread straight and smooth; pillows plumped and in place; cushions artfully arranged. It only takes a few minutes, yet it makes such a big difference!
What are some small, seemingly insignificant actions that make a big difference to your life? What determines your “good” days and your “bad” days? It could be something as mundane as making your bed! Approach this task mindfully and with joy. Simple and mundane as it may seem, do it with love and do it properly. For perhaps, just perhaps – how you make your bed, is how you approach your day, and your life.
Really Marguerite,who would think that a simple, private and personal act of untidyness, such as not making your bed, could be so significant. It just goes to show that the things that really matter in life are those little seemingly insignificant things that most of us like to overlook. I applaud you for bringing this up. Clearly, this is a state of mind. Some people relish an untidy mind. Their actions throughout the day typify this state of mind,from casual observation. However, when you walk into a room and the bed is made, you feel as if you are home and everything will continue to fall in place pretty much the way they did throughout the day, having started out witha tidy state of mind, ready to deal with the day in an organized way.
In other words Howard, our mothers weren’t just nagging us for nagging sake – they were trying to teach us a MAJOR lesson. OK – I have learned it – better late than never!
A lot of us fail to realize that our tardiness at home typifies our approach to every other aspect of our lives.
I read something similar on a website called Flylady.com. I tried it and it really does make a big difference. We should also try shining our sinks at night. Good advise!
I know flylady.com – great website, with great tips. It is good to reflect on those little things that make a big difference, and then do them. Sometimes we think that change requires BIG effort – no, it’s little things done consistently
Yes Caleen – we think that our lives are discreet boxes, where what we do and who we are in one box has nothing to do with the others – not true. THey are all interlinked, and fundamentally, have a common denominator – ourselves.
Ever since I moved into my apartment three years and five months ago, I have made it a point to make my bed every day without fail. I do it not only because my apartment is a studio in which I both live and work, but because I have wholeheartedly subscribed to everything you discuss in this post. I make the bed as soon as possible, to start my day off “right”. The days when I wait even an hour or so just don’t feel as right. I can’t even imagine going a day without making the bed.
Great post. Great blog. I’ll be back! 😀
Thanks Jodi! You are so right – even an hour makes a difference. I love this insight, because I am now looking for other little things that make a big difference in my life. What fun!
Making my bed in the morning is such an integral part of starting of my day with brightness.Somehow looking at a completed bed creates fullness and sets the tone for the day.
I get a tremendous sense of accomplishment when I look back at my bed whenever I have taken the time to finish making it up. I think that having this feeling so early in the morning helps to get your mind focused for more successes throughout the day!
Yes Cherryl – so true. And making it up first thing ensures that you don’t crawl back into it!!!! You get up and face the day!!!