Six Steps to Win the Day, Every Day.
S. A. V. E. R. S.
The miracle morning “SAVERS” are six activities which I do every morning before I begin anything else in my day.
S = SILENCE
A = AFFIRMATION
V = VISUALIZATION
E = EXERCISE
R = READ
S = SCRIBING
What does it look like? I get up while everything is quiet and calm and I meditate. I read and write. I do visualizations and affirmations. I exercise. I do all of this in order to reprogram my thinking, tap into my higher brain to focus my life, my intentions and my actions for the day.
I DO know what to do. I have known for a long time. Now I am actually doing it. Every. Single. Day.
The Miracle Morning is the brain child of Hal Elrod, who experienced a period when his life felt stuck and off course. He researched the common activities of the most successful people in the world. He found that successful people sustainably and reliably put their PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT above any other practice or tactic in their lives. And he found that the vast majority of successful and significant people made time for this work – self care and personal improvement – early in the morning, before anything else got in the way.
He developed the SAVERS as system to make it easier to prioritize personal development every day.
I’m sure you’ve heard the concept, do the hard things first, and you will always find time for the rest of the stuff that matters.
This is that concept turned on yourself.
Nine months ago I began my miracle morning practice. Some mornings, it felt pretty easy and simple. Some mornings (especially if I had stayed up a little too late or had a few glasses of wine the night before) it was a damn slog.
But I stuck with it. In fact, I started getting up earlier. I started with one hour, because that seemed plenty enough “me development” time. But then I wanted more. And more.
My days following a miracle morning felt drastically different than a day without them. I was more focused, more confident, more on purpose, more mindful and more able to bend with the day without feeling bruised or pushed around. I was more productive. I lost 20 pounds (not effortlessly, because I worked hard, but the mental game was much easier than previous “battles” with weight loss and fitness). I read many books that had been stacking up in my wish list. I filled many digital pages (including this blog) with thoughts and ideas which excited and even scared me a tiny bit, but scared me in that good tingly way, where you dare to dream.
I was doing the work and LOVING it. Loving me. Loving my life. Feeling resourceful.
Then I did a dopey thing. I had embedded my miracle morning inside the Amazeballz Challenge, and when I stopped doing amazeballs after the 100 day challenge, I stopped doing the miracle morning. I stopped considering it a fundamental ingredient to my day. It was an option. And you know what happens when something is optional.
It was a slow regression but within a few months I could see how much I had reverted. I was frustrated in my work. I was less focused. I was less confident. I was less resourceful. I started regaining weight. I lost fitness. Everything felt hard again. I was discouraged.
I had fallen off the wagon and I was being dragged behind it.
A month ago, I renewed my commitment to get up, every morning, even weekends, even when I travel, and do the SAVERS. Some days, when things are really hairy, I only get up 30 minutes early. Most days I do two hours. To be honest, I have a hard time stopping the miracle morning and entering the rest of my day. This sacred time goes by so quickly. It is the best part of every day. I’m thinking of getting up earlier. There is nothing that I am missing (with my early bedtime) that has anywhere NEAR the value to me of my miracle morning.
I invite you to give it a try. It might seem extreme. It might seems crazy. It might seem impossible.
