Introducing The PhD Mommy's Journey Podcast: Make Your Bed, Make Your Life (The Power of Small Wins)

In Episode 20 of The PhD Mommy's Journey, Bridgette dives into the unfiltered, soul-shifting wisdom of Rule 6 from Jordan Peterson's 12 Rules for Life: "Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world."

This episode isn't about being perfect—it's about taking radical ownership of your life, starting with the small things that build trust with yourself: making your bed, taking your vitamins, brushing your teeth… even when no one's watching. Bridgette opens up about how writing 30 things she's grateful for every single day for the past two years transformed her mindset—and how keeping that commitment anchored her through Navy boot camp, mom guilt, and PhD pressures.

She also draws lessons from Make Your Bed by Admiral William McRaven and Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink to show how order, routine, and responsibility aren't just military principles—they're survival tools for every woman trying to rise.

In this episode, you'll hear:

1. The Power of Small Wins
How making your bed each morning isn't just symbolic—it's a statement. It tells your mind: "We're in control now." And how this one habit can reset your day, even if everything else goes off track.

2. Gratitude as a Discipline
Bridgette explains the real reason she writes 30 things she's grateful for every day—and how that small act has kept her grounded through trauma, distance parenting, and self-doubt.

3. The Navy, Routine, and Mental Clarity
What being a warfighter taught her about staying ready—and how that mindset helps her "keep her house in order" physically, mentally, and emotionally.

4. Extreme Ownership in Everyday Life
Borrowing from Jocko Willink's approach, Bridgette shares why owning everything in your life (even what's not your fault) is the key to building self-respect and personal power.

5. Why Criticizing the World Without Cleaning Your Room Doesn't Work
A bold message on accountability, emotional leadership, and the trap of blaming systems without building structure within yourself.

6. Order Before Ambition
Why the next level of your life requires more structure, not just more vision—and how to clean up the mess inside before you try to change the world outside.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Making your bed = micro-habit, macro-shift.

• Order creates safety. Structure creates sanity.

• Daily gratitude isn't a vibe. It's a weapon.

• You can't change the world if your mind, heart, and habits are in chaos.

• Start where you are. Control what you can. Clean your space. Own your choices.

🎁 Free Resource for Listeners:

Download your 30-Day Gratitude & Goal-Setting Journal—the same tool Bridgette uses daily to stay grounded in every season of life.

📝 Click here to grab your free copy.

🎧 Listen and Subscribe to The PhD Mommy's Journey Podcast on 🎧

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📬 Contact & Connect with Bridgette

• 🌐 Website: https://thephdmommy.com/ 
• 📸 Instagram @Thephdmommylife • https://www.instagram.com/thephdmommylife
• 💌: thephdmommylife@gmail.com | hi@thephdmommy.com

🤝 Sponsorship & Collaborations:

Want to sponsor an episode, send products, or collaborate with Bridgette?

Please reach out to thephdmommylife@gmail.com with the subject line: Sponsorship Opportunity.

📣 Share Your Story:

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📚 Resource Mentioned:

Link to Dr. Peterson's Book, 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos