The Miracle Morning

By Hal Elrod

Widely regarded as one of the most life-changing books ever written, Miracle Morning aims to transform your life by showing you how to wake up every day with newfound energy, motivation and focus.

If you feel like there’s more to life; that you’re not entirely living up to your full potential, then get inspired with Hal Elrod’s ground-breaking advice on how to create an existence that’s truly extraordinary.

Many people rely on one specific morning practice to help them feel like they can start the day. But Elrod believes your routine should encompass more. Instead, he compounds six ancient ‘best practices’ into one package. He refers to them as the Life S.A.V.E.R.S. Only by doing all six, will you begin to see the change.

Everything happens for a reason – but Elrod goes further to say:

“It is our responsibility to choose the most empowering reasons for the challenges, events and circumstances of our lives.”

And there is no point in dwelling on or feeling bad about the aspects of our lives that we can’t change.

From the moment a friend advised him to take up running, Elrod was inspired to create a daily personal development routine that would turn his life around.

He opens with the following power statement:

Creating your ‘Level 10’ life

Most people passively accept their life of mediocrity – they exist at about a Level 5 on the scale of fulfilment. They may be highly successful in one area, but severely lacking in all others.

The crux is – ultimate fulfilment sounds too unattainable. And it seems like a lot of effort to get it all right. Can it even be achieved?

Elrod claims that it’s not only possible, it’s also very simple – even if you’re not a morning person.
He lists some of the most common, yet profound benefits you can expect to gain from creating the right morning ritual:

1. Wake up every day with more energy, drive, and structure
2. Lower stress levels
3. Clarity to overcome challenges
4. Improved overall health
5. Increased productivity and focus
6. More gratitude and less worry
7. Attract more monetary wealth
8. Uncover and begin your life’s purpose
9. Stop settling and start living your vision

To help reach this destination, Elrod sets out his packaged plan of attack.

The Life S.A.V.E.R.S: Six practices guaranteed to save you from a life of unfulfilled potential

When the way we’d like our lives and selves to be is some distance from where we currently are, it creates a potential gap. The further you are from your goals, the wider the gap. But with the right tools, you can gradually close this gap altogether and start harnessing your full potential.

The tools are referred to as the S.A.V.E.R.S, detailed below.

S is for Silence

In a noisy, fast-paced world, Elrod suggests this may be one of the most significant areas for improvement.

To immediately reduce your stress levels, begin each day with a peaceful, yet focused period of purposeful silence.

Silence can be practised via meditation, prayer, reflection, deep breathing or gratitude.

A is for Affirmations

Your thoughts, beliefs, and focus are what make up your general mindset. The fastest and most effective way to develop your mindset is by using affirmations. Taking the time and commitment to alter your inner dialogue ensures your thoughts and focus reflect who and where you want to be.

The majority of automatic self-talk is unconscious, and can often be rather damaging. It incorporates years of layered and repetitive thinking based on prior experiences, frequently leading to insecurities and self-esteem issues.

But if you can consciously choose pro-active and positive thoughts, you can create success in every aspect of your life – confidence, health, happiness, wealth, relationships etc. It’s essentially reprogramming your brain.

V is for Visualisation

Also known as mental rehearsal, visualisation is the art of creating mental images of the specific behaviours and outcomes you desire. It’s the process of imagining exactly what you want to achieve or attain, then rehearsing the whole scenario in your mind.

Visualise everything you need to do, and how you will feel when you’ve accomplished it.

You get to re-design what occupies your thoughts. And where your thoughts go, your actions follow. By focussing on an exciting and limitless future, you create an inner map of how to get there.

E is for Exercise

This amusing quote from an unknown source perfectly sums up a common approach to exercise:

The only exercise most people get is jumping to conclusions, running down their friends, side-stepping responsibility, and pushing their luck.

However, Elrod earnestly expresses that exercise should be a staple in your daily rituals.

Even a few minutes each morning can have the following benefits:

1. Significantly boosts your energy
2. Enhances your health
3. Improves self-confidence and emotional well-being
4. Enables you to think better and concentrate longer

You may think you’re too busy for exercise, but the author shows you how to fit in a workout – every day. And in as little as 60 seconds. So, there’s no excuse.

And to gain the most benefit, doing it first thing in the morning gets your heart rate up, your blood flowing, and your lungs filled with oxygen. You are prepping your body for the day ahead.

R is for Reading

A key player in reaching a level 10 existence is acquiring the knowledge you need to get to where you want to be. Elrod urges you to learn from the experts – those who have already achieved what you want to do.

There are countless books on any number of topics – whether you want to make money, lose weight, or start a business. Committing to the enrichment of your knowledge base will empower you to proceed with clarity.

Elrod recommends reading a minimum of ten pages per day.

S is for Scribing

The simple act of putting words on a page can be one of the most therapeutic habits you can master. And it doesn’t cost a thing.

Elrod suggests keeping a journal and writing for 5-10 minutes every morning. By getting the thoughts out of your head and onto paper, it clears the mental space and enables you to document otherwise unseen insights.

By going back over your musings, you also have the opportunity to see how far you’ve come, to realise how much you’ve grown, and how much closer you are to your dreams. It’s like re-stoking your fire when you can re-visit where you’ve been, and appreciate how much you’ve accomplished.

Now it’s your turn to customise your Life S.A.V.E.R.S, and chapter 8 teaches you how to personalise your schedule based on your preferences.

And if you still think you haven’t got the time, Elrod shows you how you can receive the full benefits from all six practises – in only six minutes a day.

Further chapters guide you through the hurdles of procrastination, sticking to your routine on the weekend or holidays, and keeping it fun. The author then delves into the complexities of habit-forming and how to make lasting changes.

Then in chapter 10, he offers you The Miracle Morning 30-Day Life Transformation Challenge – stepping it up for a dynamic shift.

In conclusion, Elrod proclaims:

Let today be the day you give up who you’ve been for who you can become.

In writing this book, the author’s overall mission was to change one million lives, one morning at a time. His parting message to you –

This is your time, your story. Take your life head on.