I made my bed this morning. That may be normal for some, but it is definitely strange for me. I never before saw the point–I’m just going to sleep in this bed and make it messy again, making it doesn’t seem to help its primary function, so why would I make it? It is a purely aesthetic decision, and as a rule I try to spend my energy on 1) the important, 2) the necessary, 3) the fun.

But I was listening to an interview wih Admiral William H. McRaven on the Art of Manliness. He talked about Navy SEALS and how the first task of this elite fighting group is to make the bed. The idea is, if you can’t at the very least make your bed, how will you handle the details of a sensitive mission?

This makes sense to me. Success generally snowballs. By attending to the detail of the small things, you prepare yourself to succeed in a big thing.

If all this is sounding a little familiar, it’s because it should. A famous teacher once told a story that said the same thing: “You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things” (Matt 25:21 NIV). The “few things” that lead to the “many things” can happen in the small details.

So I made my bed this morning. What are the habits and rituals that help you to succeed?