My Morning Routine

In BC-19*, my mornings started at 5:45 am by dragging myself out of bed, walking the dog, getting ready for work, and then commuting into the office via bus or train. Activities during my commute included: general web surfing, reviewing my calendar, processing email, and the occasional conference call. By the time I got into the office, I was mostly prepared for my day. 

A blank notebook, with a cup of coffee

When my employer opted to close the office and initiate a remote-work strategy, I took the opportunity to review my mornings and see if I needed to make any changes. I had heard about Hal Elrod's Miracle Morning routine and thought it might be worth a look. 

If you aren't familiar with The Miracle Morning, its a set of six activities that prepare you for a successful day. These activities include: Silence, Affirmations, Visualizations, Exercise, Reading, and Scribing (journaling). These activities end up with the nifty acronym SAVERS. 

I'm not a keen adopter of this process. Prioritizing these activities into my morning routine would require a sacrifice of other valued activities, including spending time with family and supporting their priorities. Instead, my morning routine starts around 7:00 am and includes the following activities: 

• Walk & feed dog
• Wake up kiddos
• Breakfast 
• Review family calendar for school activities, appointments, and extra-curriculars
• Start Work Day

There is a lot of flex in this schedule. I may have to jump out of the routine for an early meeting and then come back to an activity. But this works especially well for me. 

The Miracle Morning does have some valuable practices. I do enjoy writing in my private journal and here. But rather than use journaling to help plan my day, I use it to reflect on my day for tomorrow. Exercise is also part of my routine, but that's a lunchtime activity. After a morning of meetings and chair-time, going for an early afternoon run is great. 

Silence, Affirmations, and Visualizations just aren't activities that resonate with me. Silence isn't a state that exists with kids in the house...and I'm okay with that. My introduction to affirmations was with a Saturday Night Live skit with Stuart Smally. As a teen, these skits were funny, but in such a way that made affirmations seem effeminate so my initial impression was one of distaste. 

That being said, I use the Guided Runs feature in Nike Run Club app. These guided runs do provide opportunity for affirmations and visualizations...even if it's just a voice in your earbud on a run. I don't do a guided run every day, but I do it often enough to get a boost. 

* Before Covid-19