Miracle (morning) routines that actually work

There are two things in the world I love more than anything else (well, almost): learning and experimenting. In my pursuit of figuring out what a soul inspired life might look like, growing into my best, happiest and most productive self often requires using myself as a guinea pig. Today included.

One of the nuts I’ve been trying to crack for a while now is HABITS. How they’re formed, the things we can do to uncover them and – most importantly – how we can change the ones that work against us for better ones.

Something else that I’m absolutely convinced of obsessed about is how we systematically overestimate what we can accomplish in the short term, yet underestimate what we can accomplish over longer periods of time. This fascinates me because it’s rooted in the complex way we operate as humans.

Imagine you want to write a book. You know – rationally – that if you spend one hour a day writing you’ll have a book (self-)published within a year FOR SURE. The thing is, there’s a little voice inside you (or a big one, depending on who’s talking) that keeps telling you a year is way too long. Eventually she convinces you to turn your book dream into a six-month plan (if you’re lucky). What started as an easy, soulful *less-than-a-page-a-day* kind of deal has now magically doubled in pressure and daily required effort. Although it FEELS easier (faster, more doable) to write a book in six months rather than a year, the chances of success aren’t better.

I know, I know. You’d expect me to say that the chances of success are lower, right? Well… yes, in a way. But not exactly. If you give yourself a year to write a book, what works in your favor also works against you: TIME.

This brings me to the third (and final) ingredient of today’s conundrums: the compound effect, aka the theory that your REALITY is the result of your daily choices, behavior, and actions.

This is important. Why?

Because if you give yourself a year to write a book (for a stronger punch line: replace with personal dream of choice) but you’re skipping writing hour three times a week… guess what? It won’t get done.

Slip up once and you can get back on the saddle. Slip up twice and it gets tougher. Do it three times in a row and that book idea probably goes back into the procrastination fridge for a while.

If that’s you (and that is SO ME, by the way) I want you to know you’re not alone.

Nobody taught me about any of this stuff, and I *bet* nobody taught you either (would have been great but, hey, there where so many useless other things to learn first). We’ve been conditioned to fail right from the start by not learning how habits really work. And how to make them work for us.

Because the thing is, there’s a big difference between our unconscious habits and what we can consciously do with them: the MIRACLE ROUTINES we can create to bypass, and change them.

Perhaps you’re familiar with Hal Elrod’s Miracle Morning. A daily routine that has you wake up earlier to do what the author calls “SAVERS”: silence, affirmations, visualizations, exercise, reading, scribing. That last one simply means journaling but, according to the author, it didn’t make such a nice acronym. There’s a huge community of people adhering to this practice (more than 170000 of them on Facebook alone). And for good reason.

Small actions repeated over time create the most amazing results.

Actions put together into a specific sequence repeated at regular intervals turn into a routine. Daily routines are easiest to remember and keep up. That’s why creating routines for yourself is so powerful – and creates miraculous results!

Long before I came across Hal Elrod’s book, I was already convinced of the power of routines. In fact, due to my HSP nature, routines is something I always had. Whenever I learned how to do something, the most efficient way I could find to do it would easily turn into a routine for me. Although this can make me a little inflexible at times (hmm) it’s also been an incredible asset both in my private and professional life. Having routines help me

• save time,

• remember what I have to do,

• know what to focus on,

• keep at it over time,

• build habits (!),

• improve my productivity,

• slowly become a joyful, courageous, free version of myself.

The real juicy part of routines comes from creating them in such a way that they not only make you benefit from the compound effect, but positively influence your subconscious mind at the same time.

To illustrate what I mean, here’s my morning routine (what I consider a great mix of action-oriented and mindset improving steps):

• Transcendental meditation

• Journaling

• Visualisation

• Writing down my goals

• Affirmations

• Reviewing my to-dos for the day and getting started with the first one

I have no exercise in this routine because – ta-da! – I have another routine for that. I use the Pomodoro technique when I work, and use my 25-minute breaks to squeeze movement into my day.

Now, these routines work well for me because I have a home office and no kids. I understand things might be different for you, and having a morning program like mine might not be possible. But that’s not to say that you can’t have any routines set in place. In fact, I strongly *suggest* that you do.

Even just one thing – repeated every day – will have a tremendous effect over a longer period of time. I’ve used this technique for years now to teach myself new skills: piano, writing, photography, drawing, even computer programming. (I know, it’s the multi-passionate in me, I can’t help myself).

My point is: you can do this too! If you’re up to it, here’s what I’d love you to do.

Think about what you want accomplish for yourself. Less stress? Better self-care? Writing a book? More clients? Learning to play the piano? Getting back in shape? Whatever it is, think about one step that will help you to get there. Now vow to yourself that you’ll do it every day (morning, noons, nights… it doesn’t matter when) for the next 90 days.

The results will BLOW YOU AWAY.

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A morning ritual for self-love in 5 easy steps

I love morning rituals. I like how they help me to structure and organize my life, and how they are an anchor I can always go back to, whatever life throws at me.

Over the years, I have found that what you do early in the morning, during that tiny moment where you wake up and become aware of your existence, can make or break your entire day. So, to me, having a good morning routine is essential to being happy.

When I first started to work on loving myself more, I started to add more elements of self-love into my morning routine. Where the routine was rather practical and pragmatic at first – writing down top to-dos, reading out my weekly intentions, and focusing on my vision board – once I started working on love and compassion, I needed more love and compassion in the morning. By engaging in those goals, I not only set myself up for a productive and successful day, but a happy one and loving one, too.

So, here is my morning routine of awakening into self-love:

Step 1: Upon waking up, have a positive and loving thought

Every day, when I wake up, once I’m aware of who and where I am, I bring a loving thought into my mind. This can be anything. In my case, I’ll usually think about the love I have for my husband or my friends, the happiness that I get from my dog Flex, or the delicious coffee that I’ll be tasting soon. Whatever it is for you, make sure it is something that you love and look forward to. This simple step will help you create a positive mindset – a key ingredient for self-love and happiness.

Step 2: There are no “have-to’s” early in the morning

As a morning practice, I have learned to allow myself to do and feel anything that I want for the first moments I’m awake. In the first moments of my day, I have no to-do list and I listen to nobody but myself. Usually, I’ll look outside the window, take a few deep breaths, sit at the kitchen table, and simply let myself wake up into my day. Most days, I’ll close my eyes and it will feel like a meditation. But again, without any obligations. I just do what I feel like. This is my sacred space and it allows me to ground myself for what’s to come.

Step 3: Make sure to take your coffee or tea in the now

After I have given myself the time to peacefully awaken, I make myself some coffee or tea, depending on my mood and feelings. When it’s ready and I drink it, I make sure I’m not doing anything else other than savoring the taste, warmth, and aromas. This brings me from wherever I am back into the now, close to the experience. So often, we drink our coffee without even noticing how good it tastes or how fresh it smells. A missed opportunity to enjoy what life has to offer us. That’s why I’ve made it a habit to really be aware of it when I drink it. It’s a little gift I give myself every day.

Step 4: Write down your intentions for the day

A very important part of my morning ritual is writing down my intentions for the day. By the time I am doing this, I have had a look at my schedule and know what my day will look like. Depending on who I’m going to meet, what I have to do, and what feelings I associate all that with, I think of an intention. If I know I have some difficult meetings ahead of me, I’ll write an intention to keep me grounded and calm, and if I am looking forward to seeing a friend, I will write an intention for us to have the best of times. Throughout the day, I go back to my intention a few times, making sure I remember what’s important for me and how I want to feel.

Step 5: Don’t forget to say “I love you”

The final – and most important step – of my morning ritual is saying “I love you” to myself. I do this every day, when I’m looking at myself in the mirror. Usually, it’s when I’m in the bathroom brushing my teeth, or when I’m getting dressed in my bedroom and looking in the big wall mirror I have by my closet. I’ll pause, take a few breaths, and really look at my reflection in the mirror. Then I will simply say “I love you”. I say it out loud or in silence, whatever I feel like. Sometimes I say it softly, sometimes I say it loudly. Sometimes I smile when I say it, sometimes I make a face. But because it’s so important to remember, I always say it.

This list might look like a lot, but it really isn’t. You can integrate it in any morning routine or in the habits you already have. You don’t have to do all of it either; you can choose what feels right for you and start from there. But whatever you do, I would invite you to try and start your day with thoughts of love for yourself. It will change your life.