Dominate Your Day Before Breakfast with Jeff Sanders from The 5AM Miracle

Published: Jan. 15, 2015, 7 a.m.

Just too busy to exercise and live a healthy life? Are you too distracted because there is so much happening all the time? Take a step back. Ask yourself, \u201cWhat am I doing, does this matter?\u201d Gain perspective on the important things in life and develop a better use of your time.\xa0
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\nA lot of people struggle with getting up in the morning and being productive. Why do I need to get up? Spin it around to make it an opportunity to do what you want. Jeff Sanders created the 5 a.m. Miracle structure to design an anchor habit and foundational way to start your day.
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\n\u201cIf you intentionally design this 5 a.m. time well, you can have a really fantastic rest of your day,\u201d he says.
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\nPeople who are successful are intentional and have a very structured approach to their days. They have a plan, follow it, and focus on their health and wellness.
\nAbout Jeff:
\nJeff Sanders\u2019 journey began in college when he was trying to figure out how he wanted to live his life. While in college and then when he started working, he was overweight and decided he had to incorporate healthier habits. It was a back-and-forth struggle. But he started to exercise and even run marathons.
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\nHe knew that he needed to find a consistent schedule. He knew he wanted to work out, so decided to wake up and do it really early in the morning \u2013 5 a.m. when the sun comes up. He got up early one morning and went for a run and loved it. He had more energy the rest of the day and felt fantastic. He kept doing it over and over every day; 5 a.m. became the miracle time for him.
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\nTaking a few hours to exercise and do other things he wanted to do such as reading \u2013 doing things that mattered to him - gave him a strong foundation for the rest of the day.
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\nThis led him to share his experiences through a blog, books, and podcast series. The 5 a.m. Miracle podcast focuses on personal development and fitness, as well as purpose of intentionality for your day.
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\nSanders encourages listeners to get into the routine of waking up and making it a positive opportunity. \u201cYou shape it, you frame it, and say, \u2018I am excited about this early morning because it is an opportunity because the things I want to do in my life can happen during that time\u2019.\u201d
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\nThat 5 a.m. time is a golden opportunity to work on goals and generates a success mentality. You get something done early on and can take on what the rest of the day hands you. You feel so much better the rest of the day.
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\nThe 5 a.m. Miracle structure offers both short-term and long-term outcomes:
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\n\t* Short-term: You feel so much better right away because you have control over your day. You can feel the impact of these changes immediately.
\n\t* Long-term: You have a solid, consistent approach to your days and know what to expect. \u201cConsistency over the long term to make sure you have all those long-term benefits.\u201d
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\nThe main benefit to the 5 a.m. Miracle structure is that if you wake up and utilize that time intelligently \u2013 you will have mental clarity, focus, and energy.
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\nAnd you don\u2019t have to wake up at 5 a.m. \u2013 you can wake up whenever you want to wake up. For example, if you get home from work at 5 a.m., you are not going to wake up at 5 a.m. Natural rhythms will work with your body, and you will feel better and get more done during the day.
\nJeff\u2019s Actionable Tips:
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\n\t* Drink a lot of water: If you are hydrated, you will have more energy, feel more awake, etc. \u201cWater is ridiculously powerful!\u201d
\n\t* Have an intentional plan for your day: How will the day flow? How can the day be more effective? Have a written plan and follow it.
\n\t* Prioritize fitness: Exercising gives you energy and vigour.\xa0
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\nTop Quotes:
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\n\t* \u201cHow can I be the BEST version of myself?\u201d
\n\t* \u201cI need to find a way that I can live my life day after...