The State of Your Room is the State of Your Mind

Do you ever look back on the past year and realize how much progress you have made? Do you ever try to determine the top lessons you learned throughout the year that made the biggest impact?

Looking back to 2010, there were two major lessons I learned that influenced many others throughout the year:

1. Getting organized with Google Calendar (post on this coming soon)
2. Making my bed every day.

Today I want to talk about #2: Making my bed every day.

Wait what? How would making your bed every day have such a strong influence on your quality of life?

Let me share my story:

Growing up my Mother would always ask me to clean my room. I hated this. I enjoyed my messy room and had no desire to do otherwise. I wasn’t incredibly unorganized, but there is no doubt it was an area I could improve. This lasted for the first 22 years of my life. One day early in 2010 I decided to start making my bed every day, no matter what. Part of this decision came from a desire to take myself more seriously. I was a successful guy who viewed himself as high value. How could I view myself as high value if I couldn’t even make my bed every morning? (Another example: how can you view yourself as high value if you can’t even brush your teeth twice a day, or wash your hands after going to the bathroom?)

I finally became inspired to make my bed every morning after hearing the phrase:

The State Of Your Room is the State of Your Mind

This is simple. When your room looks like a bomb went off, it’s an obvious indicator about the status of your life. This could mean you are stressed out. It could mean you are simply unorganized. It could mean you are very unorganized. It could mean you have a lower self-esteem. It could simply mean you are more carefree. Not all of these are bad, but I wouldn’t classify any of them as optimal, and I believe you should be optimizing at all times.

A super easy way to clear your life of stress and anxiety is to be that much more organized. Being organized starts with your bedroom. Your bedroom is the place you start and end your day. If you’re room is a disaster it’s just one more thing you know is on your plate. It’s no different then having dishes in your sink. You will constantly be losing mental energy every time you run into these areas, and with a few simple tweaks to your daily routine, you can eliminate any potential for that, giving you a clearer head and more energy to use on your passions.

An easy solution to many problems come in the form of systems. This won’t always apply, but when it comes to organization it definitely does. I made the decision to start making my bed every day out of a desire to take myself more seriously. I knew making my bed every day would never happen without a solid system in place, so this is where I started:

My Routine

The first thing I do every morning is shower. If I don’t do this I feel weird, and it’s been this way for over 10 years now. After showering I make my bed. This takes 20 seconds and follows the 2-minute rule. After making my bed I get dressed, and start my day.

I found making my bed after I got dressed didn’t work very well because as soon as my pants are on I’m thinking about what I need to eat for breakfast and all the various other tasks I need to do that day. Making your bed immediately after you get up is a must.

Although I had aspirations to have a clean room at all times, I kept it simple and focused on starting with my bed only.

The Secret To A Clean Room

What’s really interesting about making my bed every day was that it actually encouraged me to clean up the rest of my room too. When your bed is made, you feel good; not only that, but it also exposes the areas in your room that are messy. However when your bed isn’t made, the mess in your room all blends together. Because your bed is such a major part of your room, it has a big impact on this. Your bed can either help expose your trouble areas or help camouflage your mess. The difference is in your bed.

What you will find is that the reason your room gets messy is because of a few select areas. I call these “trouble areas or trouble spots.” One of my trouble areas is at the foot of my bed. This happens because this is where I get undressed (helloooooo laddiiiiies 😉 ) every night, so every morning I wake up with clothes on my floor. Since recognizing this, I do my best to put the clothes I’m taking off into either the laundry basket or hung up in my closet. Now I wake up with one less thing to do, and it doesn’t encourage me to leave other messes around my room.

As making your bed becomes habit, focus on one of your trouble areas. Soon enough your room will be clean the majority of the time, and when it isn’t, a quick 5-minute clean will do the trick.

Simply put:

Making my bed every day encouraged me to take the time and maintain a clean room. It was the catalyst in encouraging me to get more and more organized. It’s unarguable that being organized is an absolute direct influence in your quality of life. Being organized will make you more money. It will allow you to maintain more relationships, giving you more opportunities, more options. It will alleviate a ridiculous amount of stress and anxiety, allowing you to grow and be emotionally stable. Start with making your bed every morning, and as this becomes a habit, move onto a new trouble area, and so on. This will have a direct impact on how you perceive your self-worth. It will seriously** increase your self-esteem.

Are you up for the challenge?

The challenge is to make your bed every morning. Who’s up for it? Comment below and I will help keep you accountable. If your room is not clean right now, you have no reason* not to join the challenge. This will make a difference in your life. Let’s do it!

And help your friends get involved in the challenge too by asking them to join. Ask them personally or by posting this on Facebook or Twitter.

Subscribe and SAY WHAT’S UP. Don’t leave this page without making a comment or asking a question. GET INVOLVED.

Much love.