Do you want a MIRACULOUS morning?

Healthy HabitsMotivationOlder AdultSeniors healthSuccessWomens Health

18 Jan

I heard the term ‘morning miracle’ first used by an author named Hal Elrod. This young man had a nasty accident in his early 20’s and through a lot of perseverance and positivity and support was able to go from not being able to move and given a fairly dismal future diagnosis, to moving and fully functioning fairly quickly. My details won’t be exact, as it is several years since I have heard about this man, but what he achieved against the odds and in short time is astounding. He was inspired to create a concept he dubbed the ‘6 minute morning miracle’, it was his way of making sure that every morning he started the day with meaningful actions designed to get him stepping toward goals.

This concept in itself is nothing new. I’m sure you have heard of doing regular small things that end up being a big thing such as a new skill or productive habit, new business, better relationships etc. What I appreciated about Hal is that he appealed to my lazy yet structured brain with this one minute concept.

The idea is to allot 1 or 2 mins to 3- 6 things. For example, as soon as you wake up you could:

Meditate
Write in a gratitude journal
Squats
Pushups
Write a to do list
Stretch

1 minute each and in 6 minutes you are done. It’s not a lot of time but I’m sure you can see by the end of it you would feel like you have started your day off brilliantly. Mentally inspired, physically ready to go and emotionally settled.

It’s the concept of this that I appreciate. It’s a great way to start new habits but not feel overwhelmed when you really have little to no motivation at times.

We all could do exercise for one minute even when feeling like its the last thing on earth you would like to be doing.

Just Do it.

Try it right now, lets just do something for 3 tiny little minutes.

Put your timer on. Make it easy and start with 3 big impact things.

First 60 seconds,

Exercise. Squats, star jumps, pushups...a combination of the above, or simply stretch, 30 secs per side in a lunge or waist or hamstring stretch.

Next 60,

Paper and pencil and write. Write things and people you are grateful for. Go!

And the final 60 seconds,

Close your eyes. Breathe and listen for a while and sounds around you. Then bring the focus to the breath passing in and out of your nose. then follow that breath to feeling inside your head, all around and gradually make your way down your spine to your.... oops! Times up.

Now, how do you feel?

Imagine starting everyday like this

.... imagine finding every day like this .... theres no limit or restriction. We are all individual. Where could this idea most benefit you?

Individualise this

Again, theres no real rules and restrictions ..... this is just a cool flexible way of adding good quality routines and beneficial habits into your life. So think what you really need to address ..... is it more activity? Is it calmness? Is it learning a skill? Is it just to be happier?

If you are not sure, or need a bit of help, a good coach is the perfect person to go to. Someone like myself who is positive, open and individualised will help you set the goals and methods that best fit your life. They can either hold your hand for a few weeks/ months/ years.... or leave you to it... what ever you need.

Lets do it

Write a free list of things you would like to add into your life to enrich your world. Don’t analyse, just write.

When you are done pick the top 6. Then pick the top 3.

Start with 3 things at one minute each. It sounds tiny, but just do it at least once....then you can either add a few others or make it 2 mins each. No over achieving here.... just for a few days. After say 5 days in a row have a think about increasing it or leaving it exactly as it is for now.

But what if I’m in the flow and don’t want to stop?

Say you are exercising first, then before meditating you have your gratitude list minute to do and you are really getting into it. Just stop....its good discipline and if you kept going the odds are that you won’t do the meditation section no matter that you may tell yourself you will. Do the meditation. when that’s finished go straight back to your gratitude exercise.

It sounds easy and it should be, but what can derail you is if you want to add ‘exercise’ but then come unstuck about the best one to choose as you only have one or 2 minutes for it....thats where a friend or coach can help.

Say you want to learn a language and think how on earth in that short time can I make it count? Or you don’t like meditating but know its ‘good for you’ so you want to add it to your life.

Let me give you some more examples:

First is exercising :

You may have a fatburning goal and want to make your bottom a nice shape. Aobviously you will not be able to accomplish fatburning in your time, BUT you can increase your blood flow and energy to be ready to put in later. So 30 seconds of either vigorous squat jumping or squatting and 30 seconds of bottom squeezes would be a great start. thats for a one minute interval.

Second, a language:

Pick out one or two new words at the most and write them out over and over and then look at them and say them out loud. Voila!

Third, for the reluctant meditators:

Do a forward fold and hang or lie on your back with your legs up on the wall and allow them to sink to the sides. Now breathe and hold. As you breathe, think about the muscles you feel stretching, note your desire to get out of that stretch and breathe through that.... one minute is up before you know it and your body is echoing a big THANK YOU!

There are endless options.

Think about the last year you have had...

did you grow or change? Are you sitting here feeling you are in the same or similar spot?

Imagine if you did some little habit everyday for the next year ..... the difference it would make to you as a person.

Pretty significant huh!?!

It’s easy, but most of the time we don’t do this. Any steps you make will benefit and change you. Start today, don’t make excuses. If you need help, let me know. If you start doing it yourself, let me know too! I want to hear :-)

Make 2019 YOUR year.

Love, Vash x

References

Sample morning routines from super achievers:

life hackhealthy choices

Vashti Schulz