“The 5 AM Club” by Robin Sharma emphasises the importance of rising up early, and beginning your day with a holistic routine. The mantra, “Well begun is half done” is reiterated. The following is an extract, summary from the book, along with a visual representation, and a video link from YouTube both of which are included at the end of this note.
Robin Sharma’s magic mantra from this book, “Take excellent care of the front end of your day, and the rest of your day will pretty much take care of itself. Own your morning.”
He encourages everyone to be an early riser, which is at 5 am in the morning. While this could be difficult for many to adopt, for several personal and professional reasons, in principle the concept can be implemented, so long as one is willing to rise early. It’s important to grasp the ideas presented in the book and implement them, so that one make the most of the time available to advance personal, professional , physical, family, health, spiritual and social goals.
Peak Performance at 5:00 a.m.
The text suggests that our attention span is limited and gets used up throughout the day by various distractions. By waking up at 5:00 a.m., there is an opportunity to focus on one important task without distractions. This is due to a concept called transient hypofrontality, where at this time, the brain’s rational thinking shuts down, allowing for a state of flow. This state of flow leads to increased focus and productivity for the entire day. This can lead to achieving great things and becoming a history maker.
– Move: 1st 20 minutes for intense exercise. Start by exercising vigorously for 20 minutes to generate brain-boosting sweat. It will increase your metabolism rate and your brain will be optimized and you will be able to better focus on work.
– Reflect: Then, spend 20 minutes in deep reflection and solitude, writing your thoughts in a journal to understand your vision and let go of negativity. Here you plan your day or Mediate for clear vision or you may do praying or journaling.
– Grow: Finally, dedicate the last 20 minutes of your first hour to learning; study biographies, psychology, innovation, or listen to audiobooks. Embrace this routine to become a successful member of the 5 AM club.
The Four Interior Empires
• Mind Set: It is the psychological aspect of our being. For example, our thinking.
• Heart Set: It is our emotional intelligence. How good are we at managing our own emotions? What is our relation to others?
• Health Set: It relates to our physical fitness.
• Soul Set: It connects to spirituality. How are we connecting to that Supreme power?
The Five Scientific Truths Behind Excellent Habits
• World-class willpower isn’t an inherent strength; it is a skill developed through relentless practice.
• Personal discipline is a muscle. The more you stretch it, the stronger it gets.
• Like other muscles, willpower weakens when tired. Therefore, recovery is necessary for the expression of mastery and to manage decision fatigue.
• Installing any virtuous habits follows a distinct four-part pattern for automation of the routine.
• Increasing self-control in one area of your life should elevate self-control in all areas of your life.
The Habit Installation Protocol
It takes 66 days to get to the automation point of a new habit. The time can be divided into 3 parts (22 days each)-
• Destruction Phase: Here your old habit gets destroyed. It is the hardest part. You need most of your willpower in this phase.
• Installation Phase: In this phase installation of a new habit takes place. Here you should remember why you are going to build this habit.
• Integration Phase: Here the habit gets integrated with your daily life
After 66 days the habit will be automated.
The 10 Tactics of Lifelong Genius
1. The Tight Bubble of Total Focus: preserves your focus as well as your primal brilliance by giving you long stretches of time free from trivial fascinations and any influences that dissolve your inspiration.
2. The 90/90/1 Rule: For 90 days spend 90 minutes of a workday on a single task.
3. The 60/10 method: 60 minutes work – 10-minute break.
4. The Five Daily Concepts: During the second pocket of your Victory Hour, list the five tiny targets you wish to accomplish over the day ahead for you to feel it was one well-spent.
5. The Second-Wind Workout: schedule a second workout at the end of your workday to give you a second wind for a great evening.
6. The Two Massage Protocols: Lock two ninety-minute massages onto your weekly schedule. If not a massage do something that allows you to unwind.
7. Traffic University: Use the traveling time to learn, expanding your professional prowess and personal knowledge.
8. The Dream Team Technique: Delegate tasks that not only are a poor use of your hours but also diminish your happiness. Ideally, restructure your entire life so you’re doing only the things you’re great at—and love to do.
9. The Weekly Design System: Carve out and then ritualize thirty minutes early each Sunday morning to create your “Blueprint for a Beautiful Week.”
10. The 60-Minute Student: For at least sixty minutes a day, study. Do whatever it takes to fireproof your commitment to relentless growth.
The Billionaire’s Maxim
1. To Create Magic in the World, Own the Magic within Yourself.
2. Collect Miraculous Experiences over Material Things.
3. Failure Inflates Fearlessness.
4. Proper Use of Your Primal Power Creates Your Personal Utopia.
5. Avoid Bad People.
6. Money Is the Fruit of Generosity, Not Scarcity.
7. Optimal Health Maximizes Your Power to Produce Magic.
8. Continue Raising Your Life Standards Toward Absolute World-Class.
9. Deep Love Yields Unconquerable Joy.
10. Heaven on Earth Is a State, Not a Place.
11. Tomorrow Is a Bonus, Not a Right.
The following illustration by Visual Synopsis presents the above concepts in a single sheet.
You can also watch the 5 am Club video uploaded on YouTube by Upgraded Mentality.