Everything starts from making your bed
Everything starts from making your bed. If you haven’t watched former US Marine SEAL Admiral McRaven’s motivational speech at a graduation ceremony in America then it might be worthwhile to put aside ten minutes or so to see what he says.
You can find his inspirational and motivational words on You Tube.
When we work with a client we will note all of the key positives which they have achieved throughout their week – no matter how small it might be.
Some clients might feel that doing the washing up is too insignificant to consider as a positive action – and yet it is a positive action!
In reality, of course, we recognise the significance and importance in getting these ‘small’ things ‘right.’ His speech was delivered his address to the University of Texas in 2014 and it’s now been viewed more than 18 million times.
It’s become known as the ‘Make your bed speech’ and resulted in a book of the same title which made it (unsurprisingly) into the Top Ten of The New York Times’ bestsellers’ list.
‘If you made your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day,’ he says.
‘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 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.’
There are loads of analogies and metaphors here. For instance, there is a military saying that a loose button today becomes a forgotten safety catch tomorrow.
Musicians recognise that an orchestra can only work if each individual makes sure their instrument is finely tuned.
The same principles work for our clients. If we can establish a positive routine for getting the ‘small’ stuff sorted then it will make it easier for achievements for bigger projects.
Whenever I start to write a newsletter then I always make sure the desk is clear and tidy. An uncluttered tabletop means an organised way of thinking – and that makes writing a lot easier.
The MQ allows us to ensure all of the small, necessary organisational steps are in situ before we start to move along the pathway that will, in some way, chape or form, lead us to a successful outcome.
Summer blockbusters are (finally) heading back to The Big Screen after a problematic few years for the movie industry. Covid. Declining audiences. The rise of online streaming services. All have had an adverse impact on engagement with the cinema.
But things are about to change this year…
Barbie. The return of Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in The Dial of Destiny. Oppenheimer. Three movies which are guaranteed to see us tucking into popcorn and soda drinks when they finally premiere.
And then, of course, there is The King of them all… Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning (Part One).
Yep, that’s right. Tom Cruise is reprising his role as Ethan Hunt. The world’s Number One secret agent whose sole goal is all about ‘doing the right thing’ and using his nous to get himself in (and out of) some pretty tight situations.
Stick with me on this one as I’m about to achieve my own ‘mission impossible’ feat by linking aspects of our work with this particular film. Here goes.
I’m focusing on its opening stunt as being a great example of a Miracle Question in action: from concept to planning to completion.
In short, Tom Cruise drives a motorbike off a cliff and then opens a parachute before drifting down the walls of a canyon to the safety of the ground.
If you haven’t already watched the ‘Mission Impossible: The biggest stunt in cinema history’ then I suggest you do so! (The You Tube video has clocked up an impressive 13 million views in just five months since it was uploaded onto the platform).
Near the start of the You Tube film, Tom Cruise explains the stunt is something he’s wanted to do since he was a ‘little kid.’ But to do so then every little detail had to be perfect. As he says, ‘don’t be safe, be competent.’
And so to the planning aspects of the MQ. To actually achieve a successful outcome for the stunt itself was always going to be tricky. One of the production crew explains that the two outcomes they are looking to avoid were serious injury and death.
Much could go wrong, a collision with a drone filming the jump itself would have been disastrous. Ditto problems with the bike sliding off the ramp and plummeting to one or other side of the platform itself.
For us working in a therapy room, the MQ will always consist of the realistic and practical steps that a client can take to achieve their goals. Those all-important small steps.
The small steps for the world’s biggest film stunt meant a year of specialist parachute training and advanced skydive training. What then followed was a continuous set of jumps around a motorbike track.
All this before the team moved to a specially built quarry which was designed to mimic the jump – albeit on a smaller scale. Cardboard boxes caught the bike and a harness allowed Tom Cruise to experience a safe exit from his bike.
Meanwhile, a team of engineers were working on building a massive ramp at Hellesylt in Norway. It was September 2020. Helicopters. Drones. Cameras. Action!
I won’t spoil the outcome for you and would suggest watching the You Tube film. Suffice to say, audiences will be stunned when MI hits the cinemas next month.
Our practice rooms will see people coming to see us who are looking to create their own amazing outcomes. They might not have the same Hollywood budget as MI but their aims are just as significant for them – and the people around them.
Breaking down their targets into the small steps is crucial in helping them to make it. It might be the MQ requires them to plan several steps ahead. Nothing too complex but something which allows the intellectual brain to gain a ‘toe hold’ on the start of a basic plan before it conjures up what to do next – and how to do it.
Visualization is critical as it allows the brain to rehearse successful outcomes which means the completion of the real thing becomes a lot easier. Using the imagination to practice, practice and practice allows the real life version to be achieved with ease.
In Tom Cruise’s case, he was undertaking 30 parachute jumps a day during his training before completing a staggering 13,000 motorcycle jumps so he could ensure perfection on the day of filming itself. Nothing was left to chance. MI: Dead Reckoning (Part One) is in cinemas from 14 July.
And, with a successful outcome achieved for my ‘Mission Impossible’ newsletter then I’m off into the garden to enjoy some of this fine weather.
Sunshine is a great mood enhancer as it gives us a natural dollop of Vitamin D with a resulting boost to your serotonin levels.
My old boss always used to say: slip, slop, slap. In other words, slip on a comfortable shirt, slap on some sunscreen and then slap on a hat! Now, where did I put my sunglasses?
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