The Ripple Effect of Order

"If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed." – Admiral William H. McRaven

The Ripple Effect of Order

It might seem simplistic or even trivial to some, but the act of making your bed each morning is far more than a mundane task. It's a principle that, when applied, can transform chaos into order, starting with the smallest of actions.

The Foundation of a Good Life

Making your bed isn't just about tidiness, it's a metaphor for taking charge of your life. This simple task sets the tone for the day, instilling a sense of accomplishment first thing in the morning. It's about taking control over your immediate environment - a crucial step in taking control of your life.

Sphere of Influence: Start Small

If you make your bed every morning, you start to instill a sense of discipline.

This discipline helps you take action and cultivate order.

When you cultivate order, your mind becomes clearer.

A clear mind allows you to focus on what truly matters.

Focusing on what truly matters, with discipline, builds your confidence.

This confidence, built by daily acts of discipline like making your bed, gives you the resilience needed to overcome life's greatest challenges. It drives you to get things done, leading to progress, which is what life is all about.

Progressing in life, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually, is deeply satisfying. Best part, it gets better every day.

Starting each day with a disciplined act like making your bed has fundamentally changed my perspective of control and what I am capable of. It's the discipline in these small tasks that leads to life-changing transformations. This shift in my daily routine has been a catalyst for a broader transformation, confirming the power of my thoughts and actions. Remember, it's the discipline of making your bed and the principle of You are what you think that sets the tone for the day, allowing you to grow and progress in every aspect of life.

A Chain Reaction to a Better Life

The discipline and order created by simple acts like making your bed can have a chain reaction into other areas of life. Turning chaos into order becomes a mindset. As this mindset solidifies, it begins to influence all of our decisions, our interactions, and ultimately, the trajectory of our lives. The order we create around us can inspire others, leading to a much broader impact.

Motivation is Temporary, Discipline is Permanent

Part of my morning routine is listening to inspiring and motivational speeches, and Admiral William H. McRaven's speech is part of that routine. A must watch / listen if you have not. Check it out below ??, well worth the ~16 minutes.

It's inspiring speeches like this that help me get ready and focused for each day. I typically wake up between 2-5am every day, brush, wash my face, drink a full glass of water, eat a banana, and make some Indian chai with fresh ginger and tea masala (so good, key is the fresh ginger and taking your time when making it.)

During the morning, it's quiet and peaceful, just me and my thoughts. Gives me time to think, reflect, write, move my body and get ready for the day.

No Excuses. No Regrets.

Great things happen to me.

I'm built for this.

I'll put my headphones in, listen to these motivational speeches while walking in my condo living room for hours, literally hours, just day dreaming, visualizing, and thinking about yesterday and how I could improve moving forward, the day ahead and the different scenarios that may come up. This thought process allows for a proactive life vs a reactive life. Before, I needed an alarm, woke up right before I had to be somewhere, and always felt rushed and anxious in the morning. Nowadays, no alarm needed, I can't wait to wake up, get my morning routine going and attack the day. Truly a proactive life vs a reactive life.

I am typically not in the mood to workout in the morning, however, while listening to these motivational speeches, I ALWAYS end up starting, and finishing my routine. It's always a certain line that just makes me want to start taking action - every time. I end up doing more reps than I expected. I'm now up to 3-upping. 3 years ago, I would do 1 extra rep per set, 2 years ago went to 2 extra, this year I'm up to 3 extra reps per set, on every exercise (pushups, crunches, squats, calf press ups). 5=8, 10=13, 15=18, 20=23... these extra reps help so much at the end, and your body just adapts to it.

You don't need a gym, you just need the floor. This allows for no excuses, even when you're on vacation. Calisthenics can get and keep you in tip top shape. It's not about where you work out, it's about taking action and actually working out, any workout, and having the discipline to keep doing it consistently. If you do, there is a 100% chance you will get better.

This small step of talking action, getting started and adding extra reps has now turned into a disciplined habit. It’s the discipline that has been ingrained in me, not the motivation. Motivation got me started, but discipline is what keeps me going. It’s discipline that has the lasting impact on our lives. It’s this discipline that helps turn chaos into order, not just in the physical sense but in our mental and emotional states as well.

For me, it’s not just about making my bed but also about those extra reps, those early mornings, and the growth mindset. It all counts. It all adds up. And it’s the discipline that makes it all possible.

My go-to YouTube channels for temporary motivation in the mornings:

• Motiversity
• Absolute Motivation
• Motivation2Study

2 books that I highly recommend to get into the "turn chaos into order" mindset:

?? "12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos" by Jordan B. Peterson: Dives into how embracing personal responsibility and order can battle the chaos of life.

?? "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo: Explores the profound impact of decluttering and organizing your living space on your mental well-being.

A book that's on my list:

?? "Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World" by Admiral William H. McRaven

The philosophy of turning chaos into order has deeply resonated with me, influencing how I perceive and interact with the world. By starting with something as simple as making your bed, you start to bring order to chaos, not only in your physical space but in life.

Make your bed in the morning, every morning, no matter what. Then, slowly, start fixing the small things that need to be fixed in your life, the ones you know that need to be fixed. Let the momentum build, and embrace the ripple effect of order. I promise you'll start to see amazing positive changes in all areas of your life.

Purpose Behind This Newsletter:

1. For Me: Document life lessons for future reflection.
2. For Maya: Wisdom for my daughter to draw upon in the future.
3. For Growth: Improve my thinking, communication, and creativity through the practice of writing and connecting my favorite quotes, life lessons and books.
4. For You: Perspectives that might resonate with your life and leadership journey.

Frequency of Posts:

LinkedIn has you pick frequency (daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly) of posts when creating a newsletter, however, I'm not sure I'll be following one of these options. I'll simply be posting when I feel like it. This is a passion project with no time constraints or pressure.

To all who have subscribed and / or taken the time to read my articles, thank you, I appreciate it.

Hitesh Patel

#MakeYourBed #Motivation #Discipline #Chaos #Order