“Focused, productive, successful mornings generate focused, productive, successful days – which inevitably creates a successful life – in the same way that unfocused, unproductive, and mediocre mornings generate unfocused, unproductive, and mediocre days and ultimately a mediocre quality of life. By simply changing the way you wake up in the morning, you can transform any area of your life, faster than you ever thought possible.” – Hal Elrod
Up until November, I had pretty much resigned to the life of a “Night Owl”. “I was born that way!” I said. No, really though, I was that baby that slept until 9:30am at two months old. *cough* You’re welcome, Mom. *cough* But in my pursuit to build a happy life, I started to notice a pattern. No matter the theme of the month, my featured gurus were …. I get nauseous thinking about it…. MORNING PEOPLE.
DUN. DUN. DUNNNNNNNN.
But I’m not productive in the morning.
I’m not creative in the morning.
I have no energy in the morning.
On average, I want to punch more people in the morning.
The excuses piled in.
But as they say, “The early bird gets the worm.”
So, for the sake of SCIENCE, I decided this whole “morning ritual” thing was at the very least, worth an experiment. After all, I do admit that I love how I feel when I tough it out and wake up early.
As I begrudgingly brainstormed (I’m sure with an unconscious pout on my face) the best way to get myself motivated to wake up with the sun, I suddenly recalled meeting a man a few months back. He had recommended a book called “The Miracle Morning” by Hal El Rod, which I had added to my GoodReads list of 1 million books I want to read and promptly forgot about.
All I have to say is, ALL HAIL HAL EL ROD. This man is a freaking genius. If you’re anything like me and your alarm looks like the one on the right of this picture, you MUST try this. And the best part!? It only takes SIX minutes a day.
Here is the breakdown of today’s experiment:
1. Commit to a MINIMUM of 30 miracle mornings. I did #nosnoozenovember and LOVED every day of it. I did fall off over the holidays but will say that I don’t feel that same desire to sleep an extra 9 minutes.
2. Minute One: Sit in silence. Let yourself acknowledge that you are about to start your day on purpose. Since I am not an experienced meditator, I take this minute to let whatever I’m grateful for flow through my mind. Otherwise, I noticed that my daily agenda would start to overwhelm my thoughts.
3. Minute Two: Affirmations. Read (silently or aloud) the positive affirmations that remind you of your unlimited potential. The only rules are that they are stated positively (rather than negatively) and in the present tense. For example:
“Lucrative and exciting opportunities are constantly coming into my life.”
NOT
“I am going to be debt-free.”
The second one is stated in the future and is focused on debt, rather than wealth.
4. Minute Three: Visualization. Close your eyes or stare at your vision board and picture the life you want for yourself. Be as specific as possible. Try to focus one at least one vision in each growth category. For a more powerful experience, try to imagine how it would sound, smell, and FEEL to be in your vision.
5. Minute Four: Scribing. Use this minute to write down your goals for the day, what you’re proud of, and what you are presently grateful for.
6. Minute Five: Reading. My favorite minute is dedicated to personal development. Read a page or two of a book that will help you learn, grow or become motivated! My top 3 favorite personal development books are: The Success Principles by Jack Canfield, The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho, and The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.
7. Minute Six: Exercise. After just five minutes of epic practices, you’re probably feeling pretty relaxed and motivated. Now get up off your ass and MOVE! Do an intense minute of jumping jacks, pushups, crunches or whatever gets your blood flowing. I personally think 20-40 minutes of exercise is essential. I do 30-minute home workouts with my accountability groups but if you’re choosing between doing nothing and something, 1 minute is something EVERYONE can do.
This morning ritual is a LIFE CHANGING habit.
Share your experience with the Miracle Morning in the comments below!
