Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven is a short, powerful self-help book built on life lessons from Navy SEAL training. He wrote it after giving a graduation speech that went viral, where he said: “If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.”
That line might sound simple, but behind it is a lifetime of discipline, failure, grit, and service.
He learned these lessons through cold ocean swims, bone-deep exhaustion, and years of military missions. He didn’t just preach resilience, he lived it.
And if you’re trying to build a business, start a side hustle, or just figure out what you really want to do, this book has a lot for you.
It will help you:
- Build momentum with tiny daily wins
- Stay grounded when life feels unfair
- Push forward even when you’re buried in stress
Let’s unpack the 9 lessons you can actually apply starting today.
Table of Contents
Summary of Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven
“If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.”
That’s how Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven opens — not with grand speeches, but with small actions that build real strength. He pulls ten powerful lessons from his Navy SEAL training and military career. And he doesn’t sugarcoat anything. Life is hard. Business is hard. But you can handle both.
He talks about how making your bed first thing in the morning sets the tone. It’s about taking control early and giving yourself a small win. From there, he walks through lessons about teamwork, grit, and pushing through failure. He learned these on sleepless nights, underwater missions, and brutal obstacle courses. He also learned the value of courage — standing your ground even when you’re scared.
If you’re trying to figure out how to build a business, how to stay focused, or how to keep going when everything feels heavy, this book will help you. It will show you:
- Why discipline beats motivation
- Why you need people in your corner
- How to stay grounded in unfair seasons
- How to build resilience one habit at a time
- Why quitting always comes with regret
This isn’t theory. It’s lived experience from someone who’s seen pain and still stood tall. And that’s why it matters. You can’t control the waves, but you can control your paddle.
And sometimes, it starts with your bed.
9 Great Lessons From Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven
This book isn’t just about beds. It’s about building your life. Whether you’re still trying to figure out your online business or already grinding through the day-to-day of growing one, these lessons will help.
Here are 9 things you can learn from the book Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven:
1. Start your day with a completed task
He started every day in SEAL training by making his bed. It had to be perfect. Tight corners. Pillow centered. Sheets tucked in.
That might sound small. But it gave him structure. It gave him momentum.
You need that too.
Running a business or side hustle gets overwhelming. There’s always more to do. But starting with one task you finish fully gives your brain clarity. It signals that you are in control.
Make your bed. Or clean your desk. Or write that email. Just finish something early.
2. You can’t do it alone
He carried a 10-foot rubber raft on his head during SEAL training. Every day. Along with six other people. If one person slacked, the whole team suffered.
On the days he was weak, others carried the load. When they were weak, he did the same.
Your journey isn’t solo either.
Whether you’re building a YouTube channel, running an ecommerce store, or freelancing online, you need people. Mentors. Partners. Friends who keep you accountable. Support when burnout hits.
Don’t wait until you crash before you start looking for help. Build your circle now.
3. Your heart matters more than your resume
He trained with guys stronger, faster, and smarter than him. Most of them quit.
The only reason he made it through was grit. Pure stubborn grit.
He teaches that it doesn’t matter how smart you are or where you come from. What matters is your willingness to keep going when it sucks.
That’s good news for you.
You don’t need the perfect background or the right degree to build something meaningful. What you need is drive. Especially when the results are slow. Especially when you’re doubting everything.
Keep showing up.
4. Life is unfair. Get over it.
He got punished in training for no reason. They made him roll in sand and stay that way the rest of the day. Covered in grit and cold.
There was no logic. Just pain.
He didn’t complain. He kept going.
You’ll have unfair moments too.
Your post flops. Your video doesn’t reach people. You do everything right and still lose the client.
It’s tempting to quit or feel sorry for yourself.
Don’t.
Keep moving. Focus on what’s in your control. Keep building.
5. Failure builds strength
He failed swim tests in SEAL training. That meant more pain. They called it “the circus.” Two extra hours of workouts, even after a full day of training.
It made him weaker the next day. Which led to more failure. Which meant more circus.
But over time, the pain made him better. Stronger. Faster.
That’s how failure works.
You will fail at offers. Funnels. Launches. Maybe even your first business.
That’s fine.
What matters is what you do next.
Learn. Adjust. Keep going. The circus won’t break you if you let it shape you.
6. Take the risk
He faced a tall tower and a rope. You could go down slow and safe, or fast and headfirst.
He hesitated at first. But once he slid headfirst, he beat his old time.
It was a simple lesson: don’t play it too safe.
In your business, this means taking the shot. Sending the pitch. Starting the project you’re scared of. Publishing your first video.
If you keep playing it safe, you’ll stay stuck.
You grow by jumping.
7. Stand up to bullies
He swam four miles at night in shark-infested waters. Not once. Not for fun. But as part of training.
He wasn’t just teaching you about sharks in the water. He was talking about bullies in life.
You’ll meet people who doubt you. Mock you. Or try to push you around. They may show up online. Or at home.
You can’t let fear make your choices.
You’ve got something to build. You’ve got something inside you worth protecting.
So stand your ground. Be bold. Keep building even when someone tries to rattle you.
8. Be your best in dark moments
There was a mission where he had to dive into dark water. He couldn’t see. He had to find a target deep below.
No light. No help.
He had trained for this moment. And even though it was terrifying, he did what he was trained to do.
You will have your own “dark water” days.
The slow sales week. The rejection. The loss. The failure.
What matters is who you are when no one sees you. That’s when your character counts.
Build that now. So when it gets rough, you’re not shaken.
9. Give people hope
During Hell Week, after days without sleep and stuck in cold mud, someone started singing. It was off-key. Raspy. But it sparked something.
The others joined in. They made it through the night because one person gave them hope.
You can do that too.
You can be the one who creates something that helps someone else not quit. Whether it’s a post, a product, or just being real with what you’re going through.
Hope matters. And when you build something meaningful, you pass that hope on.
So don’t just think about what you’re building. Think about who you’re building it for.
Conclusion
Building a business or side hustle is hard. You’ll face fear, setbacks, and days when nothing makes sense. Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven reminds you that small habits, courage, and grit can carry you through. It’s not about being perfect.
It’s about showing up, again and again. If you’re serious about creating something that matters, these lessons will help you stay steady.
McRaven’s book is short. But it hits hard. You’ll probably read it in one sitting, but the lessons will stick with you for life.
Read it slow. Highlight it. Keep it close when you’re going through a hard season.
And if you want more practical ideas on how to build yourself while building your dream, read my blog post on 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson. It’s packed with clarity and direction.
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