As a child, by the time I rolled out of bed, my Grandfather was usually coming in for breakfast after milking the cows!

This past month I focused on developing the habit of waking up at 5:30 a.m. every morning.  The results were amazing!

The quality of your morning routine dictates your whole day!

More than becoming a morning riser, my specific goal was to launch each day in such a way that the rest of the day was amazing. I kid you not, this was one of the most incredible months of my life!

It all began after discovering a book called ‘The Miracle Morning’ by Hal Elrod. His book emphasizes 6 practices every morning. Silence, Affirmations, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, and Scribing (writing). S.A.V.E.R.S.

It’s not a race. At first, it was a bit regimental. But that was my own fault. I would set the timer on my iphone for a period of time and then try to accomplish each step. You’ll soon learn that your morning routine becomes stressful rather than enjoyable when you do it this way. There is no hurry.

You’ll develop incredible energy reserves. In fact, I regularly have the energy to enjoy 17 and 18 hour days as a result of this new routine.

You’ll develop a habit that will provide lifelong returns. Arnold Schwartzenegger’s Dad took his children on day trips and required them to write reports about their experiences. The hulking figure you see today was no accident. If you study his life, he is one of the most self-disciplined people in the world and that discipline has allowed him to develop into the man he is today. All of your healthy habits snowball over time.

You’ll see the world differently. Even the army knows this. They insist soldiers make their bed first every morning. The beds are then expected. Why? Having a great day begins with a sense of accomplishment from performing one simple task well. When your morning routine changes for the better, your whole world changes and you begin to see it in a whole new way!

Amazing things happen! The first morning I implemented this routine was one of the happiest days of my life. After completing my routine the first day I can truly say it was a miracle morning. I spent the rest of the winter day hiking under an Ultra-Marine Blue sky in the Adirondack mountains of N.Y with a sense of peace I had not experienced in a long time. Last night I was invited to watch the Liberty Flames baseball game from a sky box in Lynchburg, Virginia with an world-wide expert in the field of counseling and his family! God is good….all the time.

You’ll stand out in the crowd. As you begin to feel better about yourself, others will feel better about you too! In the words of Dr. David Black, a leader is someone who when he says he’s going fishing, people don’t yawn and walk away. They want to go too. Your self- discipline will begin to ‘stick out’ and people will be drawn to you. Chances are they may not even know why, but they will.

You’ll start to dream again. If you’re like most people, there’s someone you’d like to meet in your lifetime. Maybe it’s a famous musician or a ‘movie star’, or perhaps an athlete. You can’t rewind the clock and tomorrow’s not here yet but you can start dreaming right now! You have to decide what you’re going to talk about when you meet these people. Otherwise when you meet them, you will not be able to capitalize.

Dreams really do come true! If I told you all of the things that happened this past month, you probably wouldn’t believe me. It really has been amazing!

The most amazing part is that I have fallen in love with getting up and seizing the day and you can too! I realize you’re ‘busy’ and you have a lot on your plate right now. But there are only so many hours in the day. If we don’t carve out time to do the things that really matter, our lives pass us by and we miss out on all that God has for us.

If your old model isn’t getting you the results you want, why keep using it? Don’t just tweak it or improve it incrementally, try something new. This model really works. The important thing is to find what works for you. Customize it. Tweak it. Maximize. 30 days from now you have the potential to be a whole new person.

Don’t get discouraged. No, it’s not going to be easy to begin with, but after awhile it will come as naturally as walking or riding a bike. There is an uphill battle and you will have resistance, but in time, what was once hard will become easier.

Here are three action steps:
1) Design a curriculum that works for you the night before. Think about what you want to accomplish this month and then decide what steps you have to take. Write the plan down on paper.
2) Set your alarm and make it so that you have to get out of bed to turn it off. Once you’re up, leave your bedroom a.s.a.p.
3) Drink a glass of cold water as soon as you wake up.
4) Have your materials ready so that you can begin immediately.