“If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task. And another. And another. And by the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that the little things in life matter. If you can’t do the little things right, you’ll never be able to do the big things right. And if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made. That you made. And a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better. If you wanna change the world, start off by making your bed. -U.S. Navy Admiral William H. McRaven, University of Texas at Austin, 2014

A popular video of Admiral McRaven’s Commencement Speech at the University of Texas is once again circulating several social media platforms, providing both the wisdom and inspiration many of us require to drag our lazy selves out of bed in the morning.

After watching the video at around 6 a.m. earlier today, I began to think about how I usually start my mornings.

I wake up to an alarm blaring from a half-charged phone (I always forget to plug it in), sit in bed for 15 minutes checking messages and emails, then eventually stand up and stretch. I hit a rough Sun Salutation pose, crack my ankles and my back, then head to the bathroom. I always try to shower quick but that never seems to work, so after a 20-minute shower I’m getting dressed and brushing my teeth. After quickly packing a lunch and eating a light breakfast, I’m out the door and trying to catch a shuttle to campus. Everything's a hurry, with no time for a second thought about anything.

So what would happen if I woke up just ten minutes earlier? If I made my bed, perhaps took a second to breathe here and there? It’s an interesting concept. Each morning since returning to school has been a routine, leaving no time for thought or error. If I miss the bus, it means I bike to class and arrive dripping in sweat. If I don’t pack a lunch, I sacrifice money and healthier food options as a result. As far as consequences go, not making my bed seems to have relatively few. Right?

When I get home in the late afternoon/evening, I come home to a bed that’s unmade and the general clutter that comes with being both a busy student and a 19-year-old male. I don’t usually feel like working right away, as I have been out and busy all day. So instead of whipping out my laptop to begin taking notes on Shakespeare or studying literary theory like a good little English major, I toss my backpack on the floor and crash on my unkempt bed with a sigh of resignation and the mindset that everything will get done eventually.

After watching Netflix for way too long, I eventually pull myself to my desk and convince my right arm to begin writing. Of course my brain and the rest of my body are distracted processing whatever show I just watched, so eventually, I get frustrated that I can’t focus and quit for a quick snack. Next thing I know it’s 9 p.m. and there’s still work to be done. When it eventually does get completed, it’s nowhere near the quality or standards to which I normally complete work. This is only hurting myself in the long run, but it’s a rut I just can’t seem to break from. It’s well past midnight that I finally crawl into bed and sleep.

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I’ve started making my bed in the morning. It’s something small, but I do feel a small sense of accomplishment when I turn to shut my light off in the morning and see my bed made. I walk out of my room knowing that when I come home, I have a place to spread out my textbooks and check off what I need to get done. My room appears neater and more organized. It truly feels like a work space. While at first I was skeptical of breaking routine, I have since realized something quintessential for success in college: rituals and routines are important — just as long as they actually work.