Start with a task completed

McRaven, a retired admiral and former Navy SEAL, expanded a university commencement speech into ten short lessons, each drawn from his training and career.

The first is to make your bed every morning. In SEAL training, instructors inspected beds closely. A well-made bed was a small task, but finishing it gave a sense of pride and encouraged the next task, and the next.

If the day goes badly, McRaven adds, you still come home to a bed you made, a reminder that small things matter and that tomorrow can be better.