The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod: Issue 48 | March 2018

Hal sent me Miracle Morning more than four years ago, even before I knew who he was, and the book has changed my life. I even had Hal on the SPI Podcast back in December 2014, when he and I explored Productivity and the Early Morning Routine.

When I first read the title of the book, Miracle Morning, (Amazon link) I laughed out loud because I was definitely NOT a morning person at the time. The thought of creating a “better life” for myself by simply waking up earlier seemed like he was pulling one over on me. At that time in my life, I was a big night owl—even all the way back in high school. I woke up at the last possible moment before I had to race off to school, and later, work. [Full Disclosure: As an affiliate, I receive compensation if you purchase through this link.]

I felt more creative at night. After having kids, getting things done after the kids went to bed made the most sense to me. But after I heard dozens of entrepreneurs talk about this thing called “miracle morning,” and how the adoption of it had changed their lives for the better, I decided to give it a try.

I picked up the book and read it in one day.

Remember how I said before I was laughing at the idea of waking up early to make a difference in my life? Well, after reading Miracle Morning, I went from laughing to: “Wow. This stuff actually makes so much sense.”

The biggest thing that got me was Hal’s explanation of how most people wake up at the time that enables them to help other people—like bringing kids to school, getting ready to go to work for someone else, etc. But what if you woke up a bit earlier to focus on yourself? So that you can devote those initial parts of the day to improving who you are, which helps you become who you want to become.

Miracle Morning has given me that. What a gift!

It’s like on the airplane, when they say, “make sure you put on your own mask first, before you assist others.” You need to take care of yourself before you can truly help others.

As for the morning thing, I have to tell you: waking up earlier was a DEEP struggle for me. After reading Miracle Morning, I still hit the snooze button for two weeks straight. But then I remembered a quote Hal had shared:

“Hitting the snooze button in the morning doesn't even make sense. It's like saying, ‘I hate getting up in the morning, so I do it over, and over, and over again.’” – Demetri Martin

I switched from waking up around 7:30 a.m. to waking up at 5 a.m. Those extra hours in the morning became revolutionary for me. For one, as a parent, the peace and quiet in the morning is a beautiful thing. Combine that with my “filled tank” of energy for the day has helped set me up for success.

One of the practices you’ll learn in Miracle Morning is called S.A.V.E.R.S., which stands for:

• Silence (meditation, essentially)
• Affirmations
• Visualizations
• Exercise
• Reading
• Scribing (or Journaling)

By reading this book, you’ll learn to do these practices each morning to set yourself up for success. But it’s not rigid. Each person has their own routine, and each is valid in their own way. You can adopt the practices whatever way that makes sense for you. For example, I focus quite heavily on the Silence (meditation) and also Scribing (journaling) part in the morning—those seem to have the biggest impact on me and who I want to become.

For journaling, I use the 5-Minute Journal each day, which has provided a ton of clarity for me as I approach each day, and also helps remind me what I’m grateful for.

So, if you need a boost of personal development, Miracle Morning is for you. It’ll challenge you. It’s not going to be easy. But, if you stick with it for a couple of weeks, you’ll start seeing results.

I’m thankful that I crossed paths with Hal those years ago. We’ve become friends, and his book has helped be become more focused, more productive, and just a better human and entrepreneur. Even if after the kids get up I don’t have the time to do anything else, at least I know I had 1-2 hours in the morning to accomplish something that I can be proud of at the end of the day.

I think you’re going to love it.

Buy the Book on Amazon