The Miracle Morning Routine
I have been tracking my mood & performance for over a year now and I have noticed that I feel livelier and energetic on days when I get a quiet time and some exercise in the morning. For that reason, I have tried to start a morning routine couple of times; unfortunately, I couldn’t put together a routine that worked for me for more than a week. Thus, when I stumbled upon an interview of Hal Elrod in YouTube, I knew that I had found my answer.
Hal Elrod is an American author, keynote speaker & success coach known for one of his bestselling books, The Miracle Morning where he lays out the steps abbreviated as S.A.V.E.R.S.
He had suffered a life threatening injury in a car accident and was told by the doctors that he may never walk again. But he did walk again and even went on to participate in ultra-marathons! At one point, he spiraled into depression due to financial crisis and was also diagnosed with a rare cancer.
He was a man who had odds stacked against him but he won the battles and came out of it stronger and with lessons. That is simply incredible!
In his book, he shares his lessons & how practicing a Miracle Morning Routine helped him stay focused and in battling a depression. This routine can be completed in 60 minutes.
Since each activity would require only 10 minutes, I believed that it would be doable. So, I started and have been successfully continuing it for over a month now! I don’t follow the exact order and go by what is more suitable for me.
S – Silence. I wake up at 6 in the morning and immediately get up to I brush my teeth & wash my face to be fully awake. I then meditate for at least 10 minutes with the help of guided meditation audio.
A – Affirmation. I listen to positive and uplifting affirmations for 10 minutes. We unconsciously have negative dialogues in our mind which can have damaging cumulative effect on our self image. Positive affirmations are an excellent way to remind us of the positive aspects in us & in life.
V – Visualize. Over the years, through personal experience, I have to come to believe in what Bob Procter teaches, “Thoughts become things, if you see it in your mind, you will hold it in your hand.” So, I visualize the kind of day and future that I look forward to for around 10 minutes while listening to a gentle soothing music.
E – Exercise. I do Zumba & light cardio for around 20 minutes.
S – Scribing (writing). I note down to 3 to 5 things that I am grateful for in my gratitude journal and 3 lessons or observations from the previous day. I spent around 10 minutes doing this.
R – Read. I read the news while having my morning tea anyway, so I don’t have a time frame for this.
I extend or minimize the duration of an activity depending on my emotional state because some days I wake up feeling distracted. I guess this is what we call “waking up on the wrong side of the bed” ;).
I understand that this may not be effective for all and even if it is, the degree of effectiveness may vary from one person to another. I was gushing about this routine to one of my cousins but it had the opposite effect on her because she is not a morning person. So, that could be one factor to consider.
In conclusion, a month has passed since I started and I am very happy with the results. Give it a go if you are looking for a routine during this chaotic time.
Thank you for reading. :)