This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "Make Your Bed" by William H. McRaven. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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Are you looking for Make Your Bed discussion questions? Do you want to further your understanding of Admiral McRaven’s 10 lessons?
Former Navy SEAL William H. McRaven teaches you how this menial task leads to big rewards in his book, Make Your Bed. Below are more than 25 Make Your Bed discussion questions that relate to McRaven’s lessons.
Keep reading for Make Your Bed discussion questions.
Make Your Bed Discussion Questions
Make your bed to start your day off right. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? But the simple act of making your bed has bigger implications for your life than you may think. Former Navy SEAL William H. McRaven teaches you how this menial task leads to big rewards in his book, Make Your Bed.
Using advice he gave graduating college students during a commencement address, McRaven develops 10 lessons for life learned during his time as a SEAL.
Below are 7 exercises comprised of Make Your Bed discussion questions to further your understanding of the book and of McRaven’s lessons.
Start Your Day with Purpose
The first of the Make Your Bed discussion questions relates to the title of the book. Making the bed is a simple task that everyone could do to start their day right.
- What are some other ways you can start your day feeling accomplished?
- Do you make your bed first thing in the morning? If so, how do you feel after the bed is made? If not, what stops you from doing it?
- How do you think starting your day with an accomplished task would affect your overall productivity?
- What are some other simple tasks you can do every day to start your day productively?
Who Are Your Allies?
We’ve all experienced times when we needed assistance in one form or another. Let’s look at how others have supported you when you needed it.
- Name one recent moment in which you were struggling? Did you ask for help? Why or why not?
- How likely are you to ask for help when you need it? Who are two people you could turn to?
- What sort of support have you provided to someone in the past? How were you able to assist them?
- Are you more likely to ask for help after reading about McRaven’s experiences? Why or why not?
Do You Judge a Book by Its Cover?
We all tend to make split-second decisions about other people.
- How have McRaven’s experiences made you think differently about making assumptions about people?
- Have you ever been proven wrong about someone you made an assumption about? Who was it?
- What was your assumption, and what did you learn that changed your mind?
- Why do you think people make judgements about others based on appearances?
- How will you approach getting to know someone new in the future?
What Really Happened?
When you’re frustrated with life, it’s easy to want to find something or someone to blame. This group of Make Your Bed discussion questions relates to taking ownership of your problems.
- How has this tendency shown up in your life?
- When have you blamed someone or something in your past for your inability to accomplish a goal? Describe the situation.
- What could you have done differently to accomplish your goal despite the past influence?
- Name one goal you’re currently struggling to accomplish.
- What’s stopping you from achieving it? How can you overcome those obstacles?
Are You a Risk-Taker?
It’s not easy to be daring in life. But sometimes it is necessary to get what you want.
- Do you push yourself beyond your limits when faced with a challenge, or do you tend to play it safe? Why?
- What were the circumstances surrounding the last time you chose to take the easy way out of a difficult situation?
- If you had the chance to approach that situation differently, would you? Why or why not?
Be a Paragon of Strength
Finding strength when faced with tragedy is not always easy. But often it is the only way to keep moving forward.
- Name one time you found strength in the midst of darkness in your life. What attitudes or beliefs allowed you to find and maintain this strength?
- Do you typically remain strong when all hope is lost? Why or why not?
- What sort of behaviors represent becoming the best version of yourself when times are tough?
Stand Your Ground
There is no shame in opting for the easy way out sometimes. Everyone has done it at least once. The key is to finish what you’ve started more times than not.
- Think of a time when you quit something when the going got rough? Describe the situation.
- Why do you think the obstacles were too great to overcome?
- Do you have a passion like McRaven does for the SEALs that feels daunting to achieve? What is it, and what obstacles stand between you and your dream?
- How do McRaven’s experiences help you understand how to “never ring the bell” on your passion?
These Make Your Bed discussion questions should have helped you think about McRaven’s 10 life lessons and apply them to your own life.
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Like what you just read? Read the rest of the world's best book summary and analysis of William H. McRaven's "Make Your Bed" at Shortform .
Here's what you'll find in our full Make Your Bed summary :
- Why making your bed each morning gives you a small victory to start your day right
- The 10 lessons Admiral William H. McRaven learned during his time as a Navy SEAL
- Why quitting is easy, but regrettable
