my miracle morning challenge

“there is nothing to fear, because you cannot fail- only learn, grow, and become better than you’ve ever been before.” – hal elrod 

it’s been a month since i started reading the miracle morning. in case you missed my original blog post about the book and this challenge, you can find it here. now that i completed the challenge… here is an update on what i learned, what i am taking away from this experience. 

a special thank you to chrissy of chrissy winchester blog and kayla of the accidental nomad life for joining me. i have really enjoyed getting to know both of them better through this and feel like it brought two new wonderful online friends into my life.  

my set-up | in the book, elrod identifies key habits that are common amongst productive, happy people- the most fundamental: getting up early. based on his findings, he created this morning routine: meditation (i used the app, simply being), affirmations (these are my favorite), visualizations (i recommend pinterest), exercise, reading (i did some personal/novels, some faith-based, and some self-help), and finally, writing. the last thing i would do: create a list of things to do for the day. i would make a list of the priorities, things to do if there’s extra time, things to do for my family/myself, and then people to contact. one of the things i love most is that it’s so flexible… you can do it for a few minutes or a whole hour. you can also swap around the order so that it works for you. my alarm usually went off at 5:40am and then i would make a cup of coffee, grab a glass of water, light one of these candles from twine and cotton market (they make the most soothing, crackling noise/the wood wicks are magical. these apothecary candles, hand-poured in the mountains of virginia by my good friend, astleigh of darling do are perfect for autumn). in addition, i would always start my diffuser for the day with some of my favorite morning oils (peppermint, wild orange, and cinnamon). a helpful tip: have your materials: your journal, pen, books, etc. set out and ready to go the night before. i usually did each of the six steps for about ten minutes (later i will talk about how exercise was usually a little later in the morning) but i enjoyed each step for different reasons. i could often feel myself melt into my yoga mat or the couch, being still and breathing deeply- letting go off all anxieties and things i am not able to control. 

it is possible to become a morning person | even the biggest night owl. i never thought it was possible. i used to despise going to bed early and getting up early but this practice has made me want to get up and seize the early morning hours. morning time has become easier – i openly welcome them now. i did learn that you do need to go to bed much earlier, something i am still working on. 

doing the challenge while traveling / with a toddler can be challenging | i was doing a great job with the one-hour exercises and then my sister welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world and parks and i went up to cincinnati for over a week. and i struggled. it was harder to find a place of solitude and it was harder to wake up early after long hours of driving / late nights celebrating with family.  sometimes my ‘mom role’ also played a part… when parks was up a lot at night, especially when he was transitioning between travels, or when we shared a room while traveling and i didn’t want to set an alarm for the 5am hour. and you know what? i could tell a huge difference when i did it and when i didn’t, preferring the days when i did complete the challenge so much more. i also learned… put your cell phone away from your bed. i think it’s so important to not fall asleep right after/while being on your phone to allow your mind to fully rest- and then it’s also easier to pop out of bed when you have to get up to turn your alarm off. 

it’s called miracle morning for a reason | this book and the idea behind it totally transformed the rest of my day… it gave me time to reflect, take in silence, be inspired/motivated, and plan out each day. i found that i was calmer yet more willing to take on daily chores and activities. 

the miracle morning has become a way of life for me | i have been adjusting some of the exercises to fit my schedule, for example, i try and do the five steps (minus exercise) between 5:40-7am and then the boys usually come down around 7:15am for breakfast, which we now enjoy as a family. after my husband leaves for work, i often took parks to a nearby neighborhood for a walk/park or the gym or a fun dance party! however, sometimes i did do some light exercise like stretches, yoga or weights. it’s all about making it work for you and your lifestyle (again, i love this part.) 

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i feel like this allowed me to have more energy and make the most of my time with my boy 

his outfit | mrly

my outfit | olive june

overall, i am very happy with the way the challenge went and plan to continue doing it. i now look forward to each morning and know how beneficial this practice is / the difference it can make on the entire day.

have you ever tried this or anything similar?

 please let me know if you decide to do this challenge!

 i really think you will feel transformed in the best way.

thank you so much again, chrissy of chrissy winchester blog and kayla of the accidental nomad life for joining me – it was so nice having others experience this at the same time

… 

yesterday, i shared a post about a product for babies that i am really passionate about 

healthy babies | from the inside out with evivo

enjoy your weekend!

xo