Miracle Morning: A Mini-Review
The Mini-Review
After a severe car crash nearly ended Hal Elrod's life, he committed himself to finding purpose and making the most of every day. Elrod believes that you should not have to go through such a traumatic event to develop his success-oriented mindset. His 2012 book The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM) came from his subsequent soul searching and is grounded in three principles:
You are worthy of happiness and success.
You must dedicate time each day to bettering yourself in order to achieve success.
What you do in the morning impacts not just your whole day, but your whole life.
The book really proceeds from this third point, outlining Elrod's "Miracle Morning" method to transform your morning routine into something that drives your success. The book itself is approachable, motivational, and light-hearted, but Elrod doesn't pull punches. He will walk you through how and why his method works, and he'll quickly demolish the well-worn excuses that prevent you from being your best. If you're interested in taking back your mornings, we highly recommend his book as a quick read that still packs a punch.
The Key Takeaways
You don't have to wait until you've read the book cover to cover to begin implementing Elrod's advice. You also don't have to take every piece of his routine for your own, instead holding onto the tips that resonate most with you personally. Much of his advice boils down to six habits he calls the "Life S.A.V.E.R.S."
Silence: Take a moment for silent reflection, meditation, or prayer immediately upon waking.
Affirmations: Remind yourself that you are the capable, competent person that you are. Positive self-talk keeps your mood and productivity up.
Visualization: See yourself achieving your goals. Mental rehearsal makes you more likely to accomplish your aspirations.
Exercise: Getting your body moving first thing in the morning is one of the best ways to boost your energy, mood, and confidence.
Reading: Elrod suggests that just ten pages a day can help you absorb some of the world's best knowledge on exactly what it will take to achieve your goals.
Scribing: In what he admits is a fancy word for writing, Elrod recommends scribing for ten minutes in your journal each morning to maintain focus and self-awareness.
Incorporate these habits into your morning and you'll be well on your way to a more satisfying, successful day.