The Miracle Morning Routine that Changes Habits in 30 Days

“Why is it that when a baby is born, we often refer to them as “the miracle of life,” but then go on to accept mediocrity for our own lives? Where along the way did we lose sight of the miracle that we are living?”

The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod is, quite simply about planning and living your life before you address your life situation.

Though he accounts for all lifestyles and schedules, Hal recommends taking 60 minutes, in the morning, on activities that bring peace and clarity to your life. The Life S.A.V.E.R.S. are Silence, Affirmations, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, Scribing (Journaling).

He recommends the morning because the morning is a time when nothing has happened yet to ruin your day. It’s also a time of far fewer distractions.

Ok, sounds great in theory, but most people are shaking their heads thinking, “There’s no way. I’m already cramming 27 hours of stuff into 24 hours. How on earth could I get up an hour earlier than I already do?”

While thousands of people around the planet are already living (and documenting) their own Miracle Mornings – making it work – it is a valid question. “How can I build the habit of getting up an hour earlier every day?” It’s a question that Hal addresses fairly well, I think.

Mind Over Mattress

“…the problem is that when we hit the snooze button, we are telling our subconscious mind that it is okay to not follow through with our commitments and what we intend to do.- The Miracle Morning

Let’s face it: the hardest part about getting up an hour earlier is the first five minutes. That moment in which—tucked into your warm bed—you make the choice as to whether you start your day… or hit the snooze “just one more time”. Think about it though—you set your alarm at a certain time for a reason.

Commit to that reason and make the effort. Get vertical. Hal provides “Five simple, snooze-proof steps” to getting your day started on the right foot:

Set Your Intentions Before Bed (mentally commit to getting up)
Move your Alarm Clock Across the Room (enforcing at least a little movement first thing)
Brush Your Teeth (motion and sensation help wake you up)
Drink a Full Glass of Water (get your metabolism going)
Get Dressed or Jump In the Shower (moving you one step further from bed)

Creating a New Habit…

While there’s a lot of debate around how long it takes to create a new habit, 30 days seems be safe by all research standards. What Hal reminds us is that there are actually three distinct phases to creating any new habit.

Phase One: Unbearable (Days 1-10)

This is when the new activity requires tremendous effort. You’re fighting existing habits—habits that have often been entrenched in “who you are” for years, sometimes decades. You’re fighting existing patterns and existing limiting beliefs. You need to keep pushing.

Phase Two: Uncomfortable (Days 11-20)

The habit starts to take hold, starts to get a little bit easier, but it’s still not natural. The biggest temptation at this level is to “reward yourself” by taking a break. Terrible idea. You’ve already made it through the hardest part (phase one), don’t backslide now. Why on earth would you want to go through that first phase again?

Phase Three: Unstoppable (Days 21-30)

The habit starts to feel natural. Your body and mind are adjusting to the new pattern – these last 10 days are important for entrenching that activity into “who you are”. Push through the final 10 days and the habit will cement itself in your life.

This was one of the biggest takeaways I gleaned from The Miracle Morning; an appreciation for the three distinct phases of habit change. It can be so daunting on day five to realize you still have 25 days to go. You’ve barely started. And yet, you’re actually already half way through the first phase.

By reframing where we are on our growth journey, we can recommit our minds and bodies to pushing through. It’s not going to feel like this forever. In fact, it’s not even going to feel like this for the whole 30 days. Persevere.

The lessons learned

Hal Elrod believes that the way that we start the day has a major impact on how the rest of the day will be.

ACTION THIS:

Address the important ‘why’ when changing behaviour.

In this case we’re talking about getting up earlier in the morning, but I believe this is crucial for any proactive change we wish to make in our lives. Changing our behaviours is hard. It requires deliberate action and willpower.

If you’re looking for additional support to make it happen, The Miracle Morning provides some excellent tips on how to make it that little bit easier.

Why does the end result really matters to you?
For us, it is having the freedom to work because we want to not because we have to.

Write it down. Say it aloud. Really feel it.

We know how much easier it is to have an accountability partner. To keep us on track to do the uncomfortable things we know we have to do to make that change we need to make, to become awesome.

Just like a business coach or an elite sports person has a coach.

Reach out to us if you want us to try and find a match for you or you just need a hand – Click Here to Contact Nicky and Dave

We really recommend that you read the Miracle Morning Book!

Talk Soon,
Nicky and Dave