What is the 5 AM Club and Where do I join?

What is the 5 AM Club?

The 5:00 AM Club is exclusively for those of us crazy enough to get up at the crack of dawn most days of the week! It’s also a book, “The 5 AM Club” by Robin Sharma.  I started reading this book based on a recommendation from a friend, but let me tell you, it is long! I found it much more palatable on Audible, as it is a parable of sorts, a story about a Spellbinder who teaches a billionaire the secrets to having it all.

The billionaire then goes on to teach it to others in these self-mastery seminars, and then offers a free, all expenses paid trip to this pair of entrepreneurs that have somehow lost their way. One is a struggling, broke artist, the other a wealthy entrepreneur getting edged out of her business by her investors.

His basic premise is that to succeed in life, you must own your morning routine, and rise at 5 AM. He suggests removing all light sources from your bedroom, including all electronic devices (hello!? my cell phone is also my alarm!), he recommends getting an old fashioned alarm clock and setting it ahead by 30 minutes, so you feel like you’re actually waking up at 5:30 a.m. And as soon as it goes off do not hit the snooze button, hop out of bed!

3 Steps to Join the 5 am Club

Step 1)  Once you’re up, he says get in 20 minutes of vigorous exercise (okay, side note: I need my coffee if we’re gonna do this) then I tiptoe upstairs to the extra bedroom, slip on my tennis shoes and get on my  $50 stair stepper for 15 minutes (nets about 1200 steps) and lift some 20lb dumb bells for 5 mins. Done!

Step 2) Now its time to wind down a little with 20 minutes of learning. How do you learn the best? Reading, watching videos, taking webinars, online classes? What are you doing in your life right now that could use a little learning boost?  I try to find learning experiences that will serve me double duty, something I can use in my real life and in my coaching business, or at work.  Currently, I’m taking Marie Forleo’s B-School, it’s intense.

Step 3) Finally, it’s time to get prepped for your day, take your last 20 minutes and look at your calendar, what do you have coming up today? Meetings, Date Nite, Kid’s Hockey Game, Blogging for your Side Hustle? Whatever it is, schedule it on your calendar, whether that be your favorite paper planner or a digital one. Leave yourself a little white space to dream, create, breathe, which takes you into your remaining few minutes: meditation and journaling.

Morning Summary

So, if you’re keeping up with the math, that’s an hour of intense, focused work in the morning, plus a smidge of time to pour a cuppa joe and slip on your tennis shoes. Also, I like to add a 20 minute shower, get dressed & wake up the kids, which really looks like 90 minutes, all in.

Is it easy? Heck, No! On the mornings when my oldest son gets home from closing up the restaurant at 3am and wakes me up by slamming the microwave door, plus the ensuing buzzer telling the world his leftovers are ready, I curse the alarm at 5am! And most nights, when I’m really into the book I’m reading (the 5AM Club right now) and my apple watch says at 10pm time to turn off the lights, I push for 5 more minutes…

But, if you ask me is it worth it? Absolutely! I start the day calmer, with coffee and already 1200 steps towards my 10,000 step goal, I am focused on getting the big wins for the day in a way that I never was before, I’ve learned something new from my class, and I’ve gotten any night-before-angst out of my system through the journaling and meditation. Also, I am able to keep my cool in the car when my youngest son asks if he can drive:)

My favorite quote from the Robin Sharma book: “I now resolve that: I will do whatever it takes, so long as it takes, to bulletproof my inner core, raise my interior game + mold the warrior within into the kind of human being that represents legendary. And eventually…makes history.”