McRaven learned that in life, as in the Navy, if you want to fight together, you have to look out for each other. Because SEALs - much like the Army or the Marines or any other defense organization - are united against a common enemy, it’s important to avoid petty in-fighting and competition that could tear the unit apart from the inside. McRaven’s time as a Navy SEAL also taught him another valuable lesson: he learned that you can’t make it in life without a buddy who has your back. As you can imagine, this served as a painful reminder to cadets that they should always make their beds. Cadets who were “sugar-cookie’d” had to stay like that for the rest of the day, performing all of their usual drills and tasks with the hot, gritty sand under their clothes - and being disciplined if they appeared to wilt under the discomfort. As a result, their commander required anyone who failed to make their bed to complete “the sugar cookie challenge.” That might sound tasty and delicious - after all, who doesn’t love sugar cookies! - but don’t be fooled! The sugar cookie challenge involved a cadet diving into the frigid Pacific Ocean, then rolling around in the scorching sand until they were covered in shimmering sandy “cookie crumbs.” This unpleasant mix of incompatible sensations was extremely uncomfortable, but it might not be so bad if you got to wash off, right? Wrong.

But one way or another, many of them forgot or willfully ignored this direction altogether. It wasn’t clear whether that was because they hadn’t been required to make their beds at home or because they thought the task wasn’t important enough. However, many of McRaven’s compatriots disagreed.

And that’s why it’s vitally important to start your day with simple but necessary tasks like making your bed. It also says a lot about your ability to represent your country and its Navy. But that doesn’t fly in the Navy! As McRaven quickly learned, the ability to obey basic tasks and form good persona hygiene habits says a lot about your character as a person. And because your parents aren’t there to correct you, you can get away with it until you grow up and get some common sense. You can leave your bed unmade for days and leave your dorm littered with potato chip packets and candy wrappers. However, these environments are separated by a number of key differences, including the fact that at college, you can get away with wearing your underwear inside out instead of washing it. It also quickly shows your true colors as people begin to discover who was taught to be responsible and organized and who arrived at college without so much as the basic skill of doing your own laundry.

Mcraven bed