Your eyes slowly open and you peer at the alarm clock. It takes a moment for your brain to register that you've somehow overslept your alarm. You bolt out of bed to shower and brush your teeth in record time. You grab a pop tart from the counter and toss it in your bag, then struggle to get your shoes on. You grab your bag and rush out the door in a disorganized frenzy. Seem familiar? “Morning rituals” like that aren't exactly conducive to a successful day, let alone a successful career.
It may come as no surprise that the most successful people on the planet don't start their days this way. They have morning rituals to get their day off to an inspired start and prepare them to kick ass. The reason most people become successful is that they develop themselves first before they develop their business, so they become the people they need to be in order to run that business. Many people have studied the habits of successful people and distilled these habits into their own morning routines. One such person is Hal Elrod, whose book “The Miracle Morning” has become a best-selling phenomenon.
Sometimes the battle with my autoimmune illness brings me down and I doubt whether I can achieve my dreams. But then I hear about people like Hal Elrod and it lifts me up. He was dead for 6 minutes after a horrific car crash. After doctors saved his life, he was told he would never walk again. If there was anyone who had every right to feel down and defeated, it was him. Yet, he didn't. He proved his doctors wrong and in the process, he developed his Miracle Morning routine, which has helped him achieve so many of his goals and dreams. Hal's story and his Miracle Morning book inspired me so much that I am currently on day 351 of doing “miracle mornings” of my own.
Morning Rituals
The Morning Miracle encourages you to wake up earlier than usual so you can start your day off with 6 separate activities, each geared to different aspects of personal development. I know, I know. If you're a night owl like I am, waking up early is the last thing you want to do, but 1) it really is rewarding and 2) if you just can't manage it, do whatever you can to try to work the routine into your day. Some people just spend 6 minutes, 1 minute per activity, on it and it's enough for them. Some people do some of the activities on public transportation as they head to work. Do what works for you. Doing something to improve yourself is better than doing nothing.
There is an acronym to remember all the activities in the Miracle Morning, S.A.V.E.R.S. It stands for Silence (or Spiritual), Affirmation, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, and Scribing (“Writing” ruined the acronym). There are Miracle Morning books geared to Entrepreneurs, Network Marketers, Students, Real Estate Agents, Families, and more.
There is no set order for you to do these activities in and you don't have to spend an equal amount of time on each. Do them in whatever order and amount of time that works best for you. Below is a brief description of each. If you'd like a more in-depth coverage of these activities, buy The Miracle Morning. (It's worth it!)
Silence
I like to start my mornings off with silence and I suggest you keep this activity first. It helps you slowly and quietly ease into your day. There are many apps and online videos that can guide you in meditation, such as HeadSpace and Calm. Alternatively, if you're religious, you can use this time to pray or read scripture. If, however, if you find yourself falling back asleep during meditation, you may want to start with exercise first to get the blood pumping.
Affirmations
Affirmations are positive statements, written and repeated aloud frequently, meant to foster a positive mental attitude about challenges one may be facing. They should be positive (no negative words like “I don't”), in the present tense, personal to you, and as specific as possible. The most important part of that previous sentence is “no negative words”. If you're faced with a tough situation, which is more likely to make you cry? Repeating to yourself “Don't cry” or “I can handle this”. Yep, “don't cry” is going to focus you on crying. Use positive words to get into a positive frame of mind.
An example I use for my health is:
“The healing power of God is working within me right now. Every day I get better and better in every way.” (I borrowed this from Joyce Meyer. If you're not religious, feel free to modify as you see fit.)
Another example:
“I am deserving and capable of achieving the life of my dreams.”
Every day, I write this in my journal during the Scribing portion of my Miracle Morning and repeated it out loud.
Visualization
You know how you see athletes with their eyes closed going through the motions of their performance before it even happens? That's called visualization. The more you visualize what you want and the steps you need to take to achieve them, the less fear you have and the more likely you are to achieve your goals with that “virtual” practice.
Some people have trouble with the visualization exercise. I recommend going to YouTube and searching for guided visualization videos or videos that teach the technique. Tony Robbins has a video where he not only describes the exercise but demonstrates the results as well. If you need some inspiration, go check it out.
Exercise
I struggle with the exercise activity of my Miracle Morning. I'm sure you are well aware that dealing with an autoimmune disease often means severe fatigue and sometimes weakness. Still, I push myself to do something to get my body moving, whether it's simple stretches, some light weights, or walking on the treadmill (or outside if it's nice). I'm not yet ready (or flexible) enough for Yoga, but it's on my list and I keep trying to incorporate some yoga into my routines.
The key is to find something you can do. If there's something you'd like to try, but can't quite manage it, look on YouTube for videos on how to do modified versions. Start with low impact, easier exercises, and work your way up to something harder and push yourself.
Reading
This is one of my favorite parts of my Miracle Morning. You can read anything you want, but the goal is to improve yourself to become the person your business needs to succeed. So, I usually opt for self-improvement books, books on business, inspirational stories of overcoming adversity, or books that help me learn something new or put me in a positive frame of mind. I'll be putting together a list of the books I've read as suggestions for you to try on another page on this site.
Scribing
When I first started my journal, I would write a page of whatever was on my mind. While it was helpful to get that down on paper, it didn't always feel helpful. After trying several ideas, I settled on a formula.
Every morning, I write down three things that would make my day turn out great. I only put down things that are mostly within my control. I mean, I'd love to win the lottery, but that relies on chance instead of actions I can take. Since I am ill very often, one thing I often put down is “taking care of myself”. That involves eating right, exercising, getting enough rest, and hydrating properly. I can accomplish so much more if I take care of myself. Another example is listing things I've been putting off or need to finish that have been sitting on my “to do” list for a while, like… oh, this blog post. Haha. It feels great to check something off your list.
After writing my three things that would make my day great, I write down three things for which I am grateful. This is incredibly powerful. It makes you think of what you have instead of what you lack. When you are grateful, it's hard to be unhappy. Right? Every book I've read about how to be happy mentions gratitude. It's scientifically proven that expressing gratitude makes you happy. Make it a regular practice and you'll be happier, guaranteed.
After gratitude, I write down my daily affirmations as mentioned in the Affirmations section above. After I write them, I repeat them aloud three times.
Planning
In addition to the S.A.V.E.R.S. routine, I make a “To Do” list for the day. Sometimes I write my list on a 3″x5″ index card, but lately I've been using Trello to organize my list. Trello is a Kanban board system that I talk about on my resources page. I can create as many lists as I need on each board. I usually have a “To Do” list, “In Progress” list, and “Done” list. It helps keep me focused on my daily tasks.
And that's it, the Miracle Morning. Many people add additional activities and, like I said earlier, you can modify it to fit your needs. It's a great way to start your day and the benefits are worth it. You may not have a lot of time to work on personal development, but you can improve yourself incrementally every day. After all, Confucious said, “The one who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones”.
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