The 5 AM Club is an effective morning routine formulated by Robin Sharma who based it on the analysis he did of some the most successful and fulfilled people on the planet.
“The way you begin your day dramatically sets up how your day is going to unfold. That first hour from five to six, (I call it the victory hour) is really the one habit that will elevate every other habit” – Sharma.
This is how The 5 AM Club routine works:
1) 5:00 AM – 5:20 AM: Exercise
These first 20 minutes should consist of exercises that can wake your body up.
For example, going for a short run, or an energising yoga sequence.
“What’s going to happen is you’re going to actually activate a pharmacy of mastery in your brain. You’re gonna release brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which repairs your brain cells from stress. John Rady at Harvard calls it miracle-grow for the brain” – Sharma.
According to Sharma, kick-starting your day with 20 minutes of physical exercise will make you happier and more focused.
By 5:20 AM you should no longer feel sleepy or groggy and will be ready to move onto the next 20 minutes of your day.
2.) 5:20 AM – 5:40 AM: Reconnecting with Yourself
These 20 minutes should be about reconnection and reflection.
“Think about your values, write in your journal, meditate, pray, reconnect – rebuild the relationship with your truest self instead of your ego and/or your insecure self” – Sharma.
Meditation cultivates mindfulness, it helps you relax and it recentres your focus.
3.) 5:40 AM – 6:00 AM: Self-Growth
Personal development is a crucial part of this 20-20-20 formula.
“So this is where while the rest of the world sleeps, you spend 20 minutes watching a Mindvalley course, a TED Talk, or listen to an audiobook. You go through your battle plans, and do something to develop your growth.” “Now it’s six o’clock, you’re on fire, you’ve optimized your cognition, your energy is high, and you’re reconnected with your priorities” – Sharma.
Sharma emphasises that personal growth is more than just developing the right mindset; it’s also about heart set, health set and soul set.
“Mindset is your psychology. You can have great psychology and strong beliefs, but if you have a toxic heart you’re going to sabotage yourself.
Heartset is your emotionality. If your emotions are primarily that of sadness, pain, anger, and you haven’t forgiven people, you’ll be blocked from reaching your full potential. You’ll never be able to achieve world-class performance.
Health set is understanding that energy is even more valuable than intelligence. Your health set is about your vitality, energy, and living a long life, so you can serve and do great things. And then, soul set is connecting to your higher nature and noble virtues every morning while the rest of the world is asleep”- Sharma.
But 5 AM is so early!
The beauty of The 5 AM Club is its flexibility. If you work on needing 8 hours of sleep and you want to wake up at 6 AM, then you can go to bed at 10 PM. The secret lies in managing your sleep schedule.
It is recommended that one should wake up an hour before the sunrises so that you have a quiet period to yourself before life gets busy. Just like any other habits, they will take time to form, but based on the positive results of implementing the 20-20-20 formula, it is well worth it.