Make Your Damn Bed!

It’s funny how some of the greatest lessons I have learned to be an independent associate have not come from being an independent associate! I am a huge believer in mindsets; I am known on social media for saying: “you must train your mind to change your life!“

I grew up in an old Victorian home built in 1903 in Tacoma, Washington. When we finally moved into that home my sister and I actually got our own rooms. And me being the older of the two got the cool room upstairs in the attic. I even got to pick the carpet that was laid on the hardwood floor and decorate it to my style. Even cooler? I got a queen size bed!

I remember when I was about thirteen my wonderful Italian grandmother came to visit from Chicago. All of about four foot ten and one-hundred pounds soaking wet, she was a bright star in my life.

One day while visiting she climbed up the old, narrow, steep staircase into the attic to see this room which I was so proud. I was thrilled to show it off to her. The light blue carpet, the matching girly curtains on the old attic window. Even the built in vanity where I could do my hair and make up.

She did exactly what any wonderful grandmother would do; admired every little part of my bedroom. The latch hook rug of a unicorn I had made, my pictures on my dresser and how it was decorated. After all that admiration she had one final thing to say.

“Annie, I cannot believe you have not made your bed. You’ve been up for hours! You need to make your bed.”

“But grandma, who cares about my bed it’s only me up here. Nobody’s going to see it.”

“That’s not the point Annie. You make your bed every day for you and because you know you did it. Not for anyone else.”

Since then, I have made my bed every day.

Fast forward 15 years. I am in my late 20s and have decided to start my own business. Every day, no matter what I have going on, I get up and make my bed. I may be traveling around the globe to speak at that time, but my bed was made before I left the house. Even then I could still hear my grandma’s voice: “Annie, make your bed for you.”

Now, it’s 2020, I’m more than half a century-year-old, and I still make my bed every single day. Even if my husband Earl “man caves” on Sunday morning I go in there once he gets up and I make the bed.

Every. Single. Day.

You’re probably wondering what the hell this has to do with being successful with in our network marketing business, LOL. In many ways everything. You still might be thinking making your bed doesn’t really matter. No one sees it after all.

When being an independent contractor with CTFO nobody’s going to tell you to “make your bed”. Making the bed symbolizes the mindset of hard work and discipline. Nobody’s going to tell you to get up so you earn your paycheck. No one is going to tell you to make those calls to potential customers and team members. No one is going to ensure that you get your to do list done.

Every day you must get up with the mindset that you are going to put in the work, even on days when it doesn’t seem to matter. Especially on days when no one will “see it” but you.

So how will you “make you bed” today? Where do you need to make changes in your discipline? Do it for you, not anyone else!

Adopted from my book: “Unscripted: How Entrepreneurs Leap and Find Success”