1. The overall theme of Admiral McRaven’s book is self-improvement.

He gives advice based on his

experiences in life that he believes will help the reader change their life for the better.
2. McRaven drew this theme of self-improvement from his experiences as a Navy SEAL.
3. The first of his ten lessons is to start your day with a task completed, either by making your bed,
or another small task you can complete every morning.
4. By starting your day with a task completed, you will be more motivated to complete other small
or large tasks throughout your day.
5. I have applied this lesson over the last several weeks by making my bed every morning.
6. Doing this has made a difference in my life, as it has taught me that completing even a small task
can make a big difference and can have a positive impact on the rest of your day.
7. The fifth of his ten lessons is to not be afraid of the circuses, and that failure can make you
stronger.
8. When McRaven says “Don't be afraid of the circuses,” he means that you shouldn’t be afraid of
any problems or setbacks that you may encounter.
9. An example of when a failure has helped make me stronger, is when I didn’t get a good grade on
a test, and that motivated me to study more and do better on the next one.
10. The last of the ten lessons that he gives is to never ring the bell, and to never quit.
11. A time when I wanted to ring the bell, or quit, is when I was given a job I didn’t like over the
summer while volunteering.
12. I didn’t ring the bell, because I had already committed to volunteering and knew it would look
good on college applications.
13. Not ringing the bell has affected my attitude towards similar situations, as it has helped me to
realize that situations like this will benefit me in the future.
14. The lesson that has influenced my actions the most is lesson four, get over being a sugar cookie.
15. I have applied this lesson when I've had problems with some decisions people have made.
16. This lesson has changed my outlook on life and the people around me, as it has helped me to
realize that sometimes things just happen, and the best way to move forward is to forget about
it and move on.