Start Your Day with a Small Win: The Surprising Power of Making Your Bed

Starting each day with a small win, like making your bed, sets a positive tone and creates psychological momentum for the tasks ahead. This simple act reinforces a productive identity and fosters a sense of control amid daily chaos.

Hirvesh Munogee

July 02, 2025

3 min read

Habit Formation

Behavior Change

Habit Loop

Habits

Behavioral Psychology

The Morning Scramble
The Reality: The "Make Your Bed" Philosophy
Visualizing the Snowball Effect
Why This Works: The Psychology of Small Wins
Your "First Win" Doesn't Have to Be Making the Bed
The Takeaway: Choose Your First Victory
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The Morning Scramble

How often do you start your day feeling like you're already behind? You wake up, your mind immediately floods with the day's to-do list, emails you need to answer, and problems you need to solve. This feeling of being reactive, rather than proactive, can set a stressful and unproductive tone for the entire day. But what if you could change that narrative within the first five minutes of being awake?

The solution is surprisingly simple: Start your day with one small, immediate win. This strategy is less about the task itself and more about the psychological momentum it creates.

The Reality: The "Make Your Bed" Philosophy

One of the most powerful examples of a "small win" habit, highlighted in publications like Business Insider, is the simple act of making your bed. It's a task that is quick, easy, and requires minimal effort, yet its impact can be profound.

In his famous 2014 commencement speech, Admiral William H. McRaven explained it perfectly:

"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. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed."

This isn't just about having a tidy room. It's about starting your day with an act of order and discipline. You prove to yourself that you are someone who does what they set out to do. That small feeling of accomplishment is the first checkmark on your mental to-do list, and it creates a powerful snowball effect.

Visualizing the Snowball Effect

Imagine a short video dramatizing this. It starts with a character groggily turning off their alarm. They hesitate, then spend 60 seconds making their bed. They look at the clean, orderly space and a subtle, satisfied smile appears.

This small win gives them a tiny jolt of positive energy. Instead of mindlessly scrolling on their phone, they decide to drink a full glass of water. Check. Feeling a little more alert, they choose to tidy the few items on their desk before starting work. Check. This cascade of small, positive decisions, all stemming from that first, simple task, puts them in a productive and positive mindset for the bigger challenges of the day.

Why This Works: The Psychology of Small Wins

The "one small win" strategy is rooted in solid behavioral psychology.

It Creates Momentum: As Sir Isaac Newton taught us, an object in motion stays in motion. Accomplishing a task, no matter how small, creates psychological momentum that makes it easier to tackle the next one.

It Fosters an Identity of Accomplishment: By completing a task first thing, you reinforce the identity of someone who is organized, disciplined, and effective. You're not just a person trying to be productive; you are productive.

It Lowers Stress: Starting your day with a completed task provides a feeling of control in a world that can often feel chaotic. It's a small patch of order that you create for yourself.

Your "First Win" Doesn't Have to Be Making the Bed

While making the bed is a classic example, any simple, constructive task will work. The key is that it must be quick and easy to complete.

Other "first win" ideas include:

Drinking a full glass of water before your coffee.

Doing two minutes of stretching.

Writing down one thing you're grateful for.

Putting away the clean dishes from the dishwasher.

Tidying one surface, like your desk or kitchen counter.

The Takeaway: Choose Your First Victory

Don't underestimate the power of starting small. If you want to change the tone of your day, begin by choosing one simple task you can complete within the first few minutes of waking up. This small act of intention is more than just a checked box; it's a statement to yourself that you are in control and that today is going to be a productive day. Choose your first small win, and let that victory set the stage for everything that follows.