Maximize Your AM Bookend with AM Habits! [The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod]

It’s hard to have a bad day if you have a good morning! Therefore, if you can win the morning, you can win the day. And you can win your morning by choosing to practice your micro habits before you react to the chaos of the day. This is what the most successful among us do; they are creative before they are reactive. Meaning:

They don’t hear their alarm go off and instantly begin checking their text messages and email notifications.
They don’t immediately start scrolling their Instagram feed.
They don’t dull themselves with any other form of digital entertainment; this is a recipe for stress and anxiety!

Instead, elite performers prioritize their mornings. First, they wake up early to maximize their distraction-free time. Then they use that distraction-free time to practice the rituals that will prime them for success throughout the day. Practicing these habits become ‘ micro wins’ in the Big 3 areas of their life (Energy, Work, Relationships). Here are some examples of micro-wins you can practice each morning to the intensity you see fit: For each area of your life, remember, to set a small “floor goal”, a goal that is too small to fail. Also, have a “guiding star goal” so large that you can continue to aim for and never reach:

[Energy]
- Wake up early — Build in time for yourself. Your AM is your time to create when you know 100% that you will not be distracted.
- Drink water — Hydrate for the day (lemon and salt in your 64 oz. water is something to experiment with)
- Move your body — Stretch, 10 burpees, get your blood flowing (better than a cup of coffee, try it!)
- Meditate, breath, focus – Start with 5 minutes or just take 5 deep breaths. Clear your mind, set your intention for the day.
[Work] [Love]
- Read and journal —Re-affirm your identity (Your “To-be” list). Your values. The habits you will invoke today to be the best version of yourself.
- Plan your Day. What tasks do you want to accomplish (Your “To-Do” list)? When will you accomplish your 1) deep creative work? 2) Teamwork? 3) Administrative work?
- List what you’re grateful for.
[Work] Start Creative Work — Nothing from new emails. Do something creative for yourself or work on a project from a previous day (that you don’t need the internet for!)

Other than perhaps your PM time block, your AM is the only time of the day that they have complete control over your time and won’t have to react to the unpredictability of their daily responsibilities. So, what is your morning routine? Start writing your current morning If/THEN habits: Even if they aren’t good habits write them down so you can actively choose who you want to be.

IF: I wake up :: THEN I: _______________________________________________________________________

IF: ________ THEN: ________________________________________________________________________

IF:________ THEN:_________________________________________________________________________

IF: ________ THEN: ________________________________________________________________________

IF:________ THEN:_________________________________________________________________________

Now, cross off the habits that you want to delete. Next let’s redo the exercise adding the habits that we want to install Remember the identity that you have journaled upon. What are the morning habits of that ideal-version of you?

IF: I wake up :: Then I: ________________________________________________________________________

IF: ________ THEN: ________________________________________________________________________

IF:________ THEN:_________________________________________________________________________

IF: ________ THEN: ________________________________________________________________________

IF:________ THEN:_________________________________________________________________________

Resources:

+1:
- Morning Routines
- Masterpiece Day Checklist

All Carpe Diem Articles