An author friend sent me a sheet titled, “What if a question could change your life?” She has not been a fan of beginning of the year resolutions, nor have I. The biggest reason being they seem to have little sticking power. My friend went on to share the idea of setting an intention is very different. First, you have to know what you want.

My writer friend once confided that when she writes her to-do list, she puts a date next to each item. Now it isn’t just a goal, it’s a deadline. This worked wonders for me while launching my business and writing for clients, especially writing books. This strategy worked for me.

Another was writing down all the steps from moving forward through completion. Sometimes even certain steps need broken down further into manageable chunks. That gave me map to follow. From that tracking momentum is easy. It also quickly reveals where a project is stalling.

But, as mentioned in an earlier post, I went through a bout of depression. In the past it might last a day, maybe two. But this went on for months. Starting my day seemed to be of significant impact. I didn’t want to get out of bed. I always did, some days later than others but always before mid-morning. It was on my mind to find a cause of some extreme reason to rise earlier. I’d been going to bed at 9:30 PM and struggling to get out of bed by 8. By sheer will, I forced myself to start getting up at 7:30 guilting myself about wasting the day. I became aware of allowing the weather to rule my attitude, something I hadn’t done for years.

At that time, I hadn’t done any exercise routine for over six months. (More like a year) and I wasn’t feeling great about any of that.

While scrolling through books one day, The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod appeared. What? The not so obvious secret guaranteed to transform your life before 8 am. It couldn’t be more obvious this was a book I needed. Without really looking into it, I purchased a copy. After it arrived, I told myself if it sounded appealing in the least, I would start gathering information the next day. Then I read the first eight chapters. To be perfectly honest, although it was a gripping start, I didn’t believe his theory. I didn’t believe his well-constructed plan would work for me. The first night I read just exactly enough to get started. Part of me really wanted to put it off for another time. But you know… I do love a 30-day challenge.

While much of what he suggested were things that I had already been doing with my time, I had not structured it the way Hal does. It wasn’t just waking up in the morning. He provided the missing key for how to set up my morning for success. And it was so simple, I couldn’t NOT try it.

After reciting a few unplanned affirmations, I went to bed, hoping to get up at 6:30.

I couldn’t have been more astonished at the results. I woke up fully rested, refreshed and eyes wide open. In fact, the true test was that I don’t like alarms. So I refused to set my clock or put it across the room. When I woke, a little voice said, look at the time right now. It was 6:30 on the dot!

Because I woke excited, I asked myself why do I feel like this? The answer that came to me was, “You’re doing something for us!” Starting the day with a few minutes of meditation and following the S.A.V.E.R.S model invigorated me in a way that defies explanation. All I can tell you is the slump was broken!! Since implementing this routine six months ago, my life has changed dramatically. Not only have I regained strength in my body, but it’s also more toned than it has been in ten years. I have more energy to visit friends, new clients, and resumed writing this blog which had languished for almost two years. I was able to complete and put the finishing touches on my first personal non-fiction book, which will be launching later this year.

What does this mean for you?

A friend sent me a challenge at just the right time when I needed it most. Can a Question change your life? The answer is yes. The question for me was, how long are you going to resist living a better life? When are you going to do something about this? And I knew I had to find an answer. 

I believe in daily affirmations, or structured prayer. When I prayed that YHVH my Heavenly Father brings me all things that I need every day and at all times, I didn’t know what the answer would look like. And in fact, The Miracle Morning was a big part of it. I can’t recommend it highly enough. A life-changing book.

Have you tried the Miracle Morning? I’m curious how it worked for you or what you gained by trying it. Let me know in the comment box below. I’ll see you again soon!