Are you a morning person? Or do you tend to hit the snooze button and desperately seek an extra few minutes in the comfort of your bed? Are you still in search of the final push to start exercising in the morning? And, most importantly, do you know that life transformation can happen in just six minutes? It’s true: ‘The Miracle Morning’ is your go-to guide and roadmap toward changing your life for the better.
Yes, you read that right. Just six minutes. It’s the fastest way toward total personal development.
To get answers to these intriguing questions, meet Hal Elrod. He’s a renowned author and success coach who has graciously collected the best practices that humanity invented. These practices are abbreviated as S.A.V.E.R.S., which stands for Silence, Affirmation, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, and Scribing.
As promised in the title, Hal Erod’s book can help you transform your life, even if you’re a S.A.V.E.R.S. newbie. You can create new habits, focus on your goals, and put a plan of action into place to go out there and make it all happen.
“I share my story with you simply to offer evidence of what can be overcome and achieved, no matter where you are in your life right now or how difficult your challenges may be.” - Hal Elrod
Why when you snooze, you lose
The problem with hitting the snooze button on your alarm is not just about getting another 15 minutes of sleep. When you postpone getting up until the last possible moment, you are resisting your life. Your subconscious simply sees no point in waking up to something meaningless. You start the day on a negative footing, and everything from there is a fight toward positivity.
To fight the seduction of snoozing, Hal Elrod suggests the following wake-up strategy:
“In order to optimize your ability, morning exercise is important because it brings you into a peak mental, physical, and emotional state so that you can win the day.” - Hal Elrod
Yes, exercise. When you wake up. But don’t run away just yet! Exercise comes in many forms; it can be exercising your brain, creativity, imagination, and, of course, your body. Your subconscious mind will automatically switch to its positive setting, giving you the best start to the day. It’s like a real-life jump start in the best possible way, and one that the world’s most successful people know about. It might not be a worldwide movement everyone knows about, but it should be.
Convince yourself to keep quiet
Hal Elrod suggests five easy techniques that will help you wake up effectively. From there, you start a morning routine that focuses on helping you change your life. Here, the Miracle Morning Life S.A.V.E.R.S. comes into play.
These daily practices will help you develop one or several aspects of your life — physical, spiritual, intellectual; the list goes on. What is more, by practicing your chosen routine thoroughly, you will be able to figure out what holds you back in life. In effect, your morning routine will become your way out of a rut. Empowered with this knowledge about yourself, you will be able to move on to living the way you want to, transforming your life one day at a time.
The first “S” of S.A.V.E.R.S.
S denotes silence. But don’t be mistaken because it is not only the absence of sound. It also stands for peace and tranquility of your mind. It’s not the easiest thing to achieve right off the bat, but with practice, it can be done.
How often do you find yourself waking up in the morning wrought-up and angry, nervous and apprehensive, or bitter and devastated from the previous day’s events? One way or another, we can almost hear our thoughts screaming in our heads and wonder whether others can hear us, too. Purposeful silence is about both your mind and your body, and they’re both quiet.
Ultimately, silence will make you more aware of your goals and priorities, as you will finally get the time to listen to yourself.
A is for affirmations
Affirmations are often downplayed in popular culture. However, they are useful in persuading yourself to be the person you want to be. Sometimes, our parents don’t tell us the words we need to hear the most. As a result, we grow up feeling insecure and vulnerable. For example, saying “I am strong” to your face over and over again will help you build up the confidence you lack. And soon, you will start to believe what you are saying.
“You will be a failure until you impress the subconscious with the conviction you are a success. This is done by making an affirmation, which clicks.” - Florence Scovel Shinn
You can practice being silent and talking to yourself separately or together in this order. First, you calm down to the point when you can hear your true self again. And then come up to the mirror and say the words to transform you.
V is for visualize
Visualization is a powerful tool that allows you to live your dreams without actually doing anything. The ironic thing is that once you do that, you’ll feel motivated to go out there and get what you want. So, don’t be shy! Dream big! What do you want to achieve? Think about them, see them in your mind’s eye, and then go out there, and put your plans into action.
Think about the person you want to become and all the amazing things you want to achieve. Now is not the time to hold back.
Visualizing isn’t difficult, but it does require some concentration. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and let your mind paint a picture of your ideal future. Really immerse yourself in it, and see how you can change your life. You’ll be amazed at the insights that come your way.
E is for exercise
You might wonder how your morning routine can involve exercise when you’ve just opened your eyes. Ironically, this is one of the best times to move your body that little bit more. It sets the tone for the rest of the day, and you’ll feel better about yourself from the get-go.
As Robin Sharma says, “If you don’t make time for exercise, you’ll probably have to make time for illness.” And that’s not a very pleasant thought.
It doesn’t have to be a full-on gym session; you can simply go for a jog or even a walk around the block. Yoga is another great suggestion that gets your blood flowing and your body moving. Find an exercise-related activity you enjoy and dedicate time to it every morning.
R is for reading
Reading is a fun-filled activity but it’s also a great way to give your brain a workout and broaden your horizons. Reading teaches self-discipline and allows you to absorb more information in a short time. Just a few minutes of reading every day could have a fantastic impact on your life.
Hal Elrod puts it perfectly when he says,
“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body and prayer is to the soul. We become the books we read.”
So, whether you choose a fiction or non-fiction book, make sure you pick wisely. What are you interested in? What would you like to learn more about?
It’s true that fiction and non-fiction both allow us to experience situations differently, through totally different eyes. You can understand and learn how to handle difficult situations without having to actually go through them yourself. That’s growth right there.
S is for scribing
The word ‘scribing’ is Latin for the act of writing. So, the next point is to either grab a pen and paper or an app and get scribbling. It doesn’t matter what language you do this in, whether it’s English, short-hand, or any other language out there. The idea is to just get it all out. There are two ways to do this. You can write whatever comes into your mind without giving it much thought, allowing it to flow onto the paper. Alternatively, you can take the time to think about your thoughts and choose the ones you want to analyze and dig into.
Whichever option you choose, you don’t need to make your writing grammatically correct. This is for your eyes only. You simply need to get out of your head all the niggling things that you don’t pay much attention to. That way, you can often find eye-opening insights into problems that have been plaguing your life for a while.
You can choose a pen and paper or digital means; simply find a route that feels comfortable to you. Journaling is a powerful tool that can unlock the depths of your mind and can ultimately help you achieve your goals.
Pulling the S.A.V.E.R.S. method together
Just six minutes every day is nothing, and that’s all you need to change your life. Of course, it’s a cumulative effect, so don’t expect major results right away! It’s all about creating time for yourself and putting it toward your future gains and personal development in all areas of your life. Even if you’re not a morning person, do your best to put a positive spin on everything.
In the second minute, remember your affirmations and read them aloud. Really feel the words as you speak them and notice how much more positive you feel.
Onto the third minute, and this is where you continue visualizing. This time, you picture the day in your mind. What do you want to achieve? This will save you from procrastination because it’s a visual reminder of how good it feels to complete everything within the day.
“Make bold moves toward your dreams each day, refuse to stop, and nothing can stop you.” - Hal Elrod
In the fourth minute, scribble down a list of everything you want to achieve that day and a quick plan of how you’re going to achieve it. In the fifth minute, grab a self-help book and learn one new thing. How can you put it into action and achieve it?
Finally, stand up and exercise for 60 seconds. Get your blood flowing, and you’ll feel a lot more awake.
“Our outer world will always be a reflection of our inner world. Our level of success is always going to parallel our level of personal development. Until we dedicate time each day to developing ourselves into the person we need to be to create the life we want, success is always going to be a struggle to attain.” - Hal Elrod
Use the miracle equation for life-changing results
At its core, the miracle morning routine is a simple yet extremely effective approach to help you boost your well-being and achieve your full potential. Successful people the world over know the importance of focusing on themselves and taking their lives to the next level. You want that to be you, right?
The Headway app is the ideal place to focus on your personal development and grow on the go. In just 15 minutes, you can read or listen to book summaries from best-selling authors of the top self-help books and more, including the ‘Miracle Morning’ by Hal Elrod.
With commitment, focus, and a few useful affirmations, you can become successful in any sphere of your life. With the Headway app by your side, you can continue to grow and build your skills one day at a time.
