Morning and Goals

I frequently listen to Jon Lee Dumas’ Entrepreneur on Fire podcast.

In his podcast, Dumas interviews successful entrepreneurs.   During the episodes, Dumas generally asks the entrepreneurs that he interviews the same questions.  For instance, Dumas will often ask entrepreneurs what book they would recommend as “life changing.”

When naming the most influential book they have read, many of Dumas’ guests list “classic” entrepreneurial books.  Books like Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, Tim Ferris’ 4 Hour Week, etc. are often mentioned.

However, other times, guests recommend more obscure book.

If their descriptions of the books resonate with me, I often download the book.  Other times, the suggestions don’t resonate, and I ignore the suggestions.

One book that did NOT first pique my interest was Hank Elrod’s The Miracle Morning.

After all, even though I already wake up by 6AM, I don’t consider myself a “morning person.”  I usually wake up in denial, hitting the snooze on the alarm clock as many times as I can.   How could I ever find the time to squeeze a miracle in my morning?

But,  when I repeatedly heard entrepreneurs describe Elrod’s book as life changing, I decided to download the book.

Elrod’s Miracle Morning Plan

When I began the book, I quickly realized that Elrod wholeheartedly believed that following his plan could transform any area of your life.   Admittedly, he also had a compelling personal story of using his plan to overcome adversity and achieve the life you want to have.

However, towards the beginning of the book, Elrod used an example of a one hour morning miracle routine.

I almost stopped listening.

I thought about how I would love to make progress towards achieving all of my goals.

BUT I ALSO THOUGHT THAT I AM NOT WAKING UP BEFORE FIVE AM!

 

Hanging in There

Luckily, I din’t turn off the audio book.

Instead, I continued to listen….

And I learned there was an alternative to waking up at five AM.

In fact, Elrod said that I could experience the benefits of the Miracle Morning in as little as six minutes a day!

 

Can as Little as Six Minutes in the AM Make a Difference?

When I learned that many enthusiastic participants experience many of the same benefits, in only six minutes a day, I started listening carefully.

I knew that I could devote six minutes on this plan.

So I began “testing” the plan on Monday, August 22nd.

Following Elrod’s recipe for a miracle morning, I completed one minute each of:

• silence (Sometimes, I use the free meditation app.)
• affirmations
• visualizations (Thank you vision board!)
• journaling  (I used the weekly planner template that I made.)
• inspirational reading (I started with part of Elrod’s book.)
• exercise (Jumping jacks were my choice.)

Does the Morning Miracle work?

The first day that I completed the first day, I felt more alert.

However, being naturally skeptical, I thought that my observations may have been psychosomatic.

So I kept practicing the six exercises each day, for only six minutes a day.

Now, almost two weeks after starting the Miracle Morning routine, I can admit that I do feel as though I have moved closer to achieving some of my goals.

So is this a coincidence?

Maybe.  Or maybe not.

Clearly, to determine if the exercises are effective, I would need to study the results of a sample size larger than me.

However, my “gut” and my anecdotal evidence so far indicates that, Dumas’ guests could be right.  Elrod’s Miracle Morning could be a game changer.   In fact, I plan to continue his suggestions each day for the foreseeable future.

Why is this Morning Regime Effective?

Clearly, starting everyday on a positive note can help to create a positive foundation for your day.

Additionally, this routine can give you the opportunity to approach your goals in a multi-faceted approach.

For instance:

• Practicing silence creates a quiet space in your mind that gives you the space to resolve an important problem or situation.  (You could meditate during this time.  If you want to use a ready made meditation, read about a free meditation app.)
• Declaring affirmations help you assert your intention for what you desire.   (After all, research shows that positive thoughts and emotions can impact the plasticity of your brain and actually rewire your brain.  In other words, thinking differently can create actually create different results!)
•  Visualizing what is possible also enables you to impact the neuroplasticity of your brain and actually “rewire your brain” so that subconsciously or consciously, you are more likely to align your actions towards meeting your goals.
• Journaling what you are grateful for is also a great way to start your day.   Declaring your blessings can get you out of your own personal “pity party” and obliterate boring excuses because it usually reinforces gratitude via a long list of reasons to be thankful.  (As a side note, I used my printable calendar to write what I was thankful for having.  It worked out great!)
• Reading inspirational also helps adjust your mindset in a positive manner.  After all, isn’t it more inspiring to hear someone tell you that you can accomplish your goals than waking up with negative self-talk regarding your wake up time or daily agenda?
• Exercising is necessary for a healthy heart and mind. Starting the day with exercise is guaranteed to get your heart and brain pumping.

All in all, Elrod does a nice job of creating a convincing case as to why you should start out the morning with these specific activities.

I recommend that you purchase and read his book to get a full snapshot of his rationale, and then give his idea a try to see what happens for you.  (PS.   If you try this, please post your comments on our Facebook page.   I’d love to hear what you think about it!)