The miracle morning routine: How to get out of bed on time and motivated

I first heard of The Miracle Morning on a thread which kept popping up in one of my Facebook groups. The book written by Hal Elrod was being touted as one of the most life changing books they’d ever read.

People I knew were raving about how it transformed their mornings and made them more productive and happier. As a self-confessed night owl (who shuns the idea that I can get up early every day and be perky and productive before coffee) I confess my ears pricked up.

Could someone like me, who has never been good at getting out of bed, change my morning routine?

It turns out, I can.

And if I can figure out how to get out of bed on time and motivated for the day ahead, so can you.

Because I know you might be reading that bold statement with the big dose of scepticism I had initially, I want to take you behind the scenes and show you why.

The Miracle Morning is really simple

To start with, I want you to realise that the miracle morning is straightforward. It isn’t some over-the-top and laborious routine. It can take 6 minutes to an hour, depending on how long you can fit in and is really easy to follow

Hal gives you a routine you can follow in 7 easy steps, and ways to help you make it a habit. I admit after trying Hal’s routine I adapted mine to suit, but in principle, it’s the same.

My routine is as follows:

1. 60 seconds of gratitude journalling

I grab my journal and write out at least 10 things I’m grateful for. This gets me into a good mood and appreciative of all I already have.

2. Read 2-3 pages from an inspiring book

Recently it’s been Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, but old faves include the Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D Wattles and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

3. Read out loud positive affirmations about my goals, with feeling

 I have statements related to my personal and business goals written out which start with phrases like I am, I have, I will… followed by my desires. I read them out loud to myself and try and get into the feeling of having achieved them already.

4. Spend a few minutes visualising myself having or achieving my goal

I sit quietly, sometimes with my favourite scented candle burning and visualise myself having achieved my current goal. I imagine a scenario and try to focus on all the senses – sight, sound, touch, smell and taste.

5. Sit in silence for a minute and ask for inspiration on what to do today

After visualising, I sit for a minute and ask for intuition and inspiration on what I should focus on that day. Whatever you believe in, or don’t (God, The Universe, Life, Yourself etc) ask “what should I do today to move closer to my dreams?”

If I get an idea, I write it down immediately and take action on it as soon as I’ve finished my routine.

6. Play my favourite uplifting music whilst I get ready and have breakfast

Hal Elrod throws in exercise at the end of his Miracle Morning routine as well, to get your heart pumping. I find getting ready to uplifting music has the same effect. Bopping around the Beyonce gets my blood pumping.

Struggle with the actual getting up part? 

I used to be a snooze-button-a-holic, but I’ve found three ways to overcome it:

1. Put my alarm clock out of reach so I have to get out of bed to turn it off

2. Change the alarm tone regularly so I don’t sleep through it

3. Go to bed earlier, so it’s not so hard getting up earlier

When I don’t do these three things, I really struggle to get up in the mornings. Generally I need at least 9 hours to function as a normal human being, so that means going to bed at 10:30pm.

One final tip

Don’t put loads of pressure on yourself to transform your morning routine overnight. Pick one thing and start there, then add another thing the following day. So, start with moving your alarm clock out of arm’s length. The next day, go to bed earlier. The next, do step one in the routine. The next, step two and so on… In about a week you’ll have gotten yourself into the routine and habit without having to try so hard.

Jen Smith coaches entrepreneurs in social media.