I tried Hal Elrod’s Miracle Morning for a month … here’s what happened

“Every day we wake up and face the same universal challenge to overcome mediocrity and to live to our full potential.” Hal Elrod.

Unfortunately most people get stuck on the treadmill of life. We settle for far less than what we want in life. So how can you break free? How can you find freedom whilst still fulfilling your responsibilities and paying the bills? Getting clear on your purpose and living every day in alignment can be revolutionary. How we spend the first minutes of the day after waking can make the difference between treadmill life or freedom. Our morning routine has a direct and powerful impact on setting the tone for the day ahead.

You have probably had a similar looking morning routine for years and years. What does your morning look like? Does the sound of the alarm fill you with dread? Do you hit snooze and pull the duvet over your head? Do you grab your phone and get sucked into emails and social media? Are you scrambling around for school uniforms and shouting at the kids to brush their teeth?

I am naturally a morning person. I like to get up before everyone else and relish the peace and quiet before the day gets going. Over the years I started running and practiced meditating but I felt I always had to choose between one or the other, as there was never enough time to do both in one day. 2019 had gotten off to a rocky start with the decline and death of my Nan, II was desperate not to feel so bereft and grabbed at anything that offered the promise of help.

One of those things with the Miracle Morning. I had read Hal Elrod’s story of falling on hard times and reaching rock bottom. He developed the Miracle Morning to support him, in not only getting back on track, but on achieving success and thriving.

The six step personal development routine is broken into six activities called Life S.A.V.E.R.S which stands for Silence, Affirmation, Visualisation, Exercise, Reading, Scribing (journaling). The self development habits create a deliberate morning ritual allowing you to start the day in a calm focused and positive way.

I committed to try the Miracle Morning routine for 30 days straight. I set my alarm an hour earlier than normal. It was recommended upon waking to drink a glass of water to hydrate and brush your teeth in order to help wake up. I went downstairs and did 10 minutes of each of the Life SAVERS.

At first, I was sceptical about the value of doing 10 minutes reading or 10 minutes exercise. What difference was 10 minutes going to make? Well cumulatively, over a period of time, it adds up and it does make a significant difference.

The visualisation part of the Miracle Morning probably was the hardest but most powerful for me. Was imaging my life in the future nothing more than daydreaming or fantasising? In order to try and make it realistic, I created a vision board of my intentions (I always wanted to do this!). I cut out images of the things I wanted to welcome more into my life. This kept my focus on where I was heading rather than getting distracted and waylaid. One of my goals was to do some writing for national publications. Soon after starting Miracle Morning I was contacted by the mental health charity SANE inviting me to contribute to a piece on psychosis. Other writing opportunities soon followed. It was slightly unnerving and a bit spooky how my intention was put out into the universe and it would seem that the universe was responding!

I love reading, but normally do it before bed which makes me sleepy after a few pages. It is know that what most successful people have in common is that they read everyday. I decided to choose a motivational book that I never normally pick - Tony Robbins “Unshakeable.” I’ve always been a bit put off by Robbins forcefully energetic, upbeat style but I cannot deny just how motivational this motivational speaker is. Reading his book gave me the knowledge and confidence to set up long-term investment funds for my children, something I always meant to do but never thought I was financially savvy enough to be able to do.

I noticed I had more energy despite getting up earlier. It was obvious that my morning phone checking drained my energy and making me feel generally “eugh.” My stress levels started to drop. I began to feel happy, motivated and inspired. It was like I was getting my mojo back again. I felt a lot more focused each day resulting in me being more productive. I  found myself excited and look forward to my hour to myself each morning. That time represented calm as opposed to something that used to be a sleepy daze or a frantic rush. I no longer felt torn between choosing to exercise or choosing to meditate, I could now do a little bit of both, it felt like a win-win situation

If you don’t think you could bear to get up an hour earlier each day, the Miracle Morning routine can be adapted, you can do it in less time or focus on a few of the activities. It could be as simple as incorporating stretching the moment you get out of bed or taking a mindful moment to sit and enjoy your first coffee of the day You can accomplish all six of the Life SAVERS in as little as six minutes each day, still gaining all of the profound benefits.

No matter where you are in your life right now, you might be at the top of your game or going through difficulties and struggling to find your way, YOU can benefit from improving your life. That is not to suggest anything is wrong with your life,  but we all strive for development, continuous growth and success.

So after 30 days I didn’t want to stop. I had hoped the Miracle Morning would change my life, I didn’t expect that it would. There is the odd morning that I won’t get up early but if I missed it for a couple of days I feel it.

I love being part of the global online community of like-minded people who wake up each day with a purpose. I’ve enjoyed connecting with people from all over the world, seeing their progress, getting encouragement, sharing best practice and supporting one another. 

So live your best life by starting the day with a Miracle Morning!