How To Get Ahead Of The Day Before It Gets Ahead Of You
A few years ago I started to wake up each morning with a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. There was no obvious reason for it but it just wouldn’t shift.
Was it hormonal, was it anxiety, was it low cortisol, was it something else? I had no idea.
It didn’t matter what I did, it just wouldn’t go away. As I came round from my night’s sleep, a familiar feeling would hit me in my solar plexus and off we would go…again.
I fought it every way I knew how - working out first thing, working first thing, listening to podcasts, going for a walk, going for a run, yoga, reading - but NOTHING made a difference.
And then something did. It took time. It took effort, commitment and shaking my belief that morning routines were indulgent and not for someone like me.
I’ve coined a term that encapsulates what my morning routine delivers : I call it “Getting ahead of the day before it gets ahead of you”. And I think it underpins everything about our day - and therefore our weeks, our months and our years.
It’s a little like being in the driving seat of a car. You decide the direction of where, when and how this day - this beautiful day we’re so lucky to experience - is going to go.
It’s also a little like the line from Pretty Woman where Julia Roberts says “You don’t own me OK? I say who, I say when, I say who…”
Below I’ve outlined what I do each morning. But what I don’t want is for you to read this and think “She’s got her act together but I could never do that!” Because that doesn’t get us anywhere.
I think it’s more helpful to see it as a framework of ideas you can use if they appeal, or not if they don’t. Swap in what works for you and if you don’t need any of it - well that’s brilliant. I wish I were you!
So here goes with how to get ahead of the day before it gets ahead of you.
Reading Hal Elrod’s Book
I first heard Hal Elrod being interviewed on Amy Porterfield’s podcast (you can get his audio book HERE)
He is the author of “the Miracle Morning Routine.” There was something about him which verged on the infectious/slightly annoying (in the nicest possible way - because he was so upbeat and positive) but which I also found intriguing.
There is no denying that Hal Elrod had a terrible time. He was really ill but came through it smiling, which is frankly phenomenal.
Unlike everyone else I’d listened to before who talked about a morning routine, there must have been something about the “right place right time” scenario which meant I was ready to hear what he had to say.
Below I’ve broken down the full miracle morning routine for which he is so well known (or the miracle morning routine as I’ve adapted it) and I’ve highlighted those parts of it that allow me to get ahead of the day - just in case they might help that feeling in the pit of your stomach too.
2. The 6 Stages
There are 6 stages to the Miracle Morning Routine. These are:
Silence (ie Meditation)
Affirmations
Visualisation
Exercise
Reading
Scribing (journaling)
I don’t do all 6 of these stages first thing. The exercise and reading can wait until later! But in a period of 20 minutes I do the meditation, affirmations, visualisation and journaling. I also pull oracle cards.
Still sceptical? I don’t blame you! I felt the resistance too - for a LONG time. But needs must and all that. Let me explain more.
3. How I Get Ahead Of The Day - Step 1
My day starts the night before - with an early night. I set an alarm for 9.30pm which signals to me that it’s time to get upstairs and get ready for bed. So I do!
I also set a morning alarm for anywhere between 6.20am and 6.30am. In the summer it’s earlier but I recognise that I need more rest in the winter, so I set the alarm for a little later.
And this is how my morning goes…(all of this is done in the dark!)
I pad downstairs whilst everyone else is asleep and I unset the alarm. I go into the kitchen and put the kettle on for a cup of mint tea.
I come into the living room and straighten the cushions and the throw (assuming - and it’s a million to one chance - that this hasn’t been done already!) And I light a candle.
Next I open the back doors and stick my nose outside. Every morning I say “Good morning, morning” which is my way of giving thanks for another day.
Sometimes, the stars are still out. Sometimes it’s blowing a gale. Sometimes there’s frost on the decking. And sometimes it’s quite mild. Whatever it is, I’m always in awe and grateful that I haven’t missed this moment.
Next, I get my journal, tea, pen and glasses. I get my oracle cards, pop a cushion on the floor next to the low table with the candle on it and make myself comfortable (all still in the dark).
Then I start my morning routine Hal Elrod style - with my own twist!
4. How I Get Ahead Of The Day - Step 2
The first thing that I do is to check my FitBit App to see how much sleep I’ve had. It’s not something I’m hung up on because fortunately I sleep really well - but I am interested. I also check my “daily readiness” scores and my “stress” score.
Having done that I switch to my “miracle morning routine” app and start with 10 minutes of meditation.
Hal recommends taking deep breaths and clearing you mind but this can be hard. Instead I spend the first couple of minutes letting whatever needs to come to the surface, come to the surface.
I usually think about friends or family who I want to get in touch with. Or I spend a few moments thinking about people who are going through a rough time. Then I spend a few mintues taking 10 deep breaths whilst looking out of the windows over to the back garden and beyond.
I look at my favourite poplar and everygreen trees and I notice how different they look in the winter compared to the summer. I look at the sky, the squirrels, the birds and the stars.
During those 10 minutes (and this is the important part!) I think of 3 things I’m grateful for. And I then choose 3 words for how I want to feel that day. They generally involve words like calm, peaceful, positive, productive, creative, resourceful, engaged - depending on what I am doing that day.
Remember the car quote and the Julia Roberts quote above? That’s where these words come in! They are me taking control of my day.
5. How I Get Ahead Of The Day Step 3
Next I pick up my journal.
As per the Hal Elrod approach, I map out my affirmation for the day. These affirmations aren’t affirmations as I traditionally thought of them eg. I am a money magnet etc.
There’s a 4 stage approach to each one which effectively creates a blue print for how you want to think about certain situations or events, or how you want to respond to things. I can share more about if you’d like me to. But creating my affirmations has been life changing. They’ve got rid of a load of stuff!
Then I spend a minute or two visualising my day (also important for getting ahead of it) after which I journal for a few minutes about anything I want to write about.
Next, I pull 3 oracle cards, usually from a set by Rebecca Campbell. I really find that they give me direction for the day and they make me feel grounded, held and supported. I also think it’s incredible how relevant they are to whatever stage in life I’m at and what I’m doing.
And That Is That Is How I Get Ahead Of The Day
I started to get ahead of the day before it gets ahead of me on 1st April 2024 and I haven’t looked back since!
There was a brief stage in the summer when I thought I didn’t need to do my morning routine any more and so I took a break. I felt that I’d brought to the surface, and dealt with, all of the issues I wanted to resolve, via affirmations.
But then I realised I really missed it. And the old, familiar, feelings started to creep back in. So I started again. Now my affirmations relate more to things I want focus on during that day rather than historic “stuff” that I want to deal with.
Sometimes I’ll have the weekends off - but I never feel as good as when I do my morning routine. And I love the ritual of lighting a candle, drinking my tea, saying good morning to the morning and having that quiet time to myself before the world wakes up.
A Few Extras…
To keep the momentum going through the day, and to check in with whether my day is going to plan according to my 3 words, I set a 12.30pm and a 4pm alarm on my phone. When it goes off, I take a minute to stop and to check in. If any adjustments needs to be made, I make them. And then I carry on.
How To Incorporate Something Similar Into Your Life
Much as I love getting ahead of my day, I understand the resistance around adopting a practice like this. It took me quite a long time to work up to it but I am so glad that I did.
I realise that you might having caring roles, or that you may work outside of the home. You may have an early start, or suffer from insomnia and need to sleep in, which may make this seem challenging.
If this is the case, let me help you a little!
Commit to 3 days only and see how you feel at the end of the 3 days. Select 3 “easy days”; perhaps when you’re on holiday, or a Friday plus a Saturday and Sunday. This way the task doesn’t feel too enormous.
If the whole practice feels too much to start with, commit to 10 minutes; find a quiet spot, light a candle, take a look outside, give gratitude for 3 things and choose 3 words for how you want to feel for the day. I am sure that will make a difference in terms of getting ahead of your day.
Buy yourself the Hal Elrod book and take a read. Pick out the parts that appeal to you. Buy a new journal ready for your affirmations, visualisations and journaling.
If you’re not able to commit every day, don’t beat yourself up. Do what you can when you can. I’m tempted to say to wait for spring to start but the benefits can be so great that starting ASAP is my recommendation. It has honestly made my winter so much easier too - but that’s a different story.
If you’ve ever suffered with that horrible, nagging, feeling in your solar plexus - where there’s nothing really wrong but you’re all out of sorts and you just can’t shift it, I’d REALLY suggest trying to get ahead of your day before it gets ahead of you.
This is a way of living that has never let me down. It offers the opportunity to be proactive rather than reactive.
If you’ve got a road map for the day, you know where you’re heading. And if you get slightly taken off course, you can readjust.
If the day goes haywire, there’s always tomorrow - and at the very least, you can welcome in the morning and all that a new day has to offer.
If you’ve got any questions, please leave a comment below.
Have a super week,
Beth x