How to Turn “Make Your Bed” Into Daily Systems in ClickUp

ClickUp can help you turn the powerful principles from Admiral William H. McRaven’s book “Make Your Bed” into simple, repeatable workflows you follow every day. This how-to guide walks you step by step through building those habits inside your workspace so they actually stick.

The source ideas for these workflows come from the book summary at this Make Your Bed article, translated here into a practical system you can implement immediately.

Step 1: Turn the Make Your Bed lessons into a ClickUp List

Before you build any automation, you need a clear home for your habits. A single List dedicated to daily discipline helps you see everything in one place.

1. Create a new Space named “Personal Growth” or “Discipline.”

2. Inside that Space, add a Folder called “Make Your Bed Habits.”

3. Create a List named “Daily McRaven Habits in ClickUp.”

Now translate the book’s core lessons into tasks in that List. For example:

• Make your bed every morning

• Finish what you start

• Accept that life is not fair

• Take smart risks and move forward

• Stand up to bullies and setbacks

• Give people hope through your actions

• Never, ever quit on important goals

Create each of these as its own task so that ClickUp can remind you, track progress, and store notes you learn along the way.

Step 2: Build a ClickUp morning routine based on the bed-making rule

The first lesson in the book is simple: start your day with a small win by making your bed. In ClickUp, you can turn that into a reliable morning routine.

Set up a recurring “Make Your Bed” task in ClickUp

1. Open your “Daily McRaven Habits in ClickUp” List.

2. Create a task named “Make my bed and start the day with a win.”

3. Set the due date for tomorrow morning.

4. Add a daily recurrence so it automatically reappears every day.

5. Under the description, add a short checklist:

   • Smooth sheets and blankets

   • Arrange pillows

   • Quick tidy of bedside area

This ClickUp task becomes your non-negotiable morning anchor. When you check it off, you log a visible win that sets the tone for the rest of the day.

Add a ClickUp Morning Routine view

To expand beyond just bed-making, group several small wins into a single morning routine:

1. In the same List, add tasks like “Review today’s priorities,” “5-minute stretch,” or “Read one page of a book.”

2. Create a new List view called “Morning Routine.”

3. Filter by due time (e.g., due before 10:00 AM) so only morning tasks show.

Now you have a ClickUp view that reflects the book’s idea of starting each day with discipline and intention.

Step 3: Use ClickUp to finish what you start

Another lesson from “Make Your Bed” is to complete every mission, no matter how small. You can use ClickUp to discourage half-finished work.

Create a simple project template in ClickUp

1. Create a new List called “Finish What You Start.”

2. Add a task named “Small Project Template.”

3. Inside that task, add a checklist with stages such as:

   • Define outcome in one sentence

   • List 3–5 steps only

   • Schedule each step on the calendar

   • Complete and review

4. Save this task as a template so you can reuse it for any mini project.

In ClickUp, you can apply this template whenever you start something new. That structure reminds you to close the loop instead of abandoning tasks halfway.

Track completion rates in ClickUp

To reinforce the habit of finishing, measure it.

1. Create a new List view called “Completion Score.”

2. Enable the “Completed” filter to compare completed vs. open tasks.

3. Use a simple custom field (e.g., a dropdown with “Not Started,” “In Progress,” “Completed”) to reinforce seeing tasks through.

The book teaches that small completed tasks create momentum. Your ClickUp views make that momentum visible so you stay motivated.

Step 4: Capture unfair setbacks and responses in ClickUp

“Make Your Bed” emphasizes that life is not fair. Instead of complaining, you focus on what you can control. ClickUp can store those lessons as a personal playbook.

Build a “Resilience Log” in ClickUp

1. Create a List named “Resilience Log.”

2. Each time you face a setback, create a task that includes:

   • A short description of what happened

   • What you can and cannot control

   • The next small action you will take

3. Tag these tasks with labels like “Mindset,” “Work,” or “Personal.”

Over time, this ClickUp List becomes evidence that you consistently respond to unfair situations with action instead of excuses.

Step 5: Use ClickUp to take risks, stand firm, and give hope

The book encourages courage, taking smart risks, standing up to pressure, and giving other people hope. You can encode all of that into a single workflow.

Create a “Courage Actions” Board in ClickUp

1. Create a new List called “Courage Actions.”

2. Switch the view to Board view.

3. Use Statuses such as “Idea,” “Planned,” “In Action,” and “Done.”

4. Create tasks for:

   • Risk you want to take this week

   • Conversation you are avoiding

   • Person you can encourage or support

Your ClickUp Board now visualizes the book’s advice: moving from fear to action and from isolation to supporting others.

Add reflection subtasks in ClickUp

To make sure you learn from your actions:

1. Inside each “Courage Action” task, add subtasks for:

   • Prepare (research, plan, rehearse)

   • Act (send message, make call, submit proposal)

   • Reflect (What went well? What will I change?)

2. Set due dates for the reflection subtasks so you do not skip learning.

This structure in ClickUp mirrors the book’s pattern: act boldly, then learn so you can act even better next time.

Step 6: Build a “Never Quit” dashboard in ClickUp

McRaven’s final message is to never, ever quit on what truly matters. A focused dashboard helps you see progress and stay committed.

Create a commitment dashboard in ClickUp

1. Create a Dashboard and name it “Never Quit Goals.”

2. Add widgets that pull from your key Lists: Daily McRaven Habits, Resilience Log, and Courage Actions.

3. Use these widgets:

   • Task list widget for today’s critical actions

   • Pie chart of completed vs. open habit tasks

   • Line chart of completed tasks over the last 30 days

This ClickUp dashboard becomes your visual reminder that discipline is cumulative. Even when a day goes badly, the long-term graph keeps you motivated not to give up.

Step 7: Review weekly and improve your ClickUp systems

Habits only work when you regularly check in. A weekly review turns your setup into a living system.

Run a weekly Make Your Bed review in ClickUp

1. Create a recurring task called “Weekly Make Your Bed Review.”

2. Schedule it every week on the same day and time.

3. Add a checklist to the task:

   • Review completed habit tasks

   • Update resilience notes and insights

   • Plan one courage action for next week

   • Adjust any due dates or priorities

Your ClickUp weekly review lets you refine the system instead of abandoning it. That reflects the book’s message of steady discipline over time.

Next steps and additional resources

If you want help designing more advanced productivity workflows, you can learn from consultants at Consultevo, who specialize in structured systems and process optimization.

To deepen your understanding of the original lessons behind these workflows, revisit the Make Your Bed summary and refine your ClickUp setup as new insights stand out.

By turning each principle into a clear, trackable workflow, ClickUp helps you move from inspirational ideas to consistent daily action—starting with something as small, and as powerful, as making your bed.

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