Written By Emily Sander
The 5AM Club by Robin Sharma is a book about establishing an early morning routine to boost mental focus and reach peak performance.
Its motto is, “Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.”
The 5AM Club isn’t a dry, repetitive non-fiction book. It’s told in a story format and is packed full of inspirational quotes, which makes it an easy and enjoyable read.
The book begins with a struggling artist and a disillusioned entrepreneur attending a seminar featuring The Spellbinder, a man widely known as the best executive coach in the world. After listening to the speaker’s intriguing message, the pair meet a billionaire who knows him personally.
The group then begins traveling across the world together, with the billionaire mentor imparting wisdom, outlining his worldview, and explaining the importance of a revolutionary morning routine at every stop.
Themes of Book
The 5AM Club features seven primary themes. They are:
Tap Into Your Full Potential
If you’re going to do something, do it to your full potential. Be elite. Reach that top five percent.
“Life’s too short to play small with your talents.”
The message here recounts Teddy Roosevelt’s famous Man in the Arena speech.
Escape Complacency
The 5AM Club notes that many people live their lives in complacency. It urges you to break out of this cycle.
“The soreness of growth is so much less expensive than the devastating costs of regret.”
“Failure’s just growth in wolf’s clothing.”
Change is Hard, but Worth It
Leaving our comfort zones and making major changes in our lives can be difficult, but it is worth it in the end.
“World-class begins where comfort ends.”
“All change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end.”
“As we leave our comfort zones, the brain gets triggered. As we raise our expertise and lift our influence, it gets frightened.”
“...there’s a battle in our brains going on. And the ancient, lower - more primitive - brain inside all of us wants to stop our evolution.”
The more willing we are to do the things that scare us, the things other people don’t want to do, the more successful we will be in both our personal life and our professional life.
Discipline Trumps Talent
Not everyone who has talent will succeed in life. Discipline, hard work, and dedication are much more important.
“...what makes a legendary performer so good isn’t the amount of natural talent they are born into but the extent of that potential they actualize - and capitalize. ‘Many of the finest athletes in the world…had less innate skill than their competition. But it was their exceptional dedication, commitment and drive to maximize whatever strength they had that made them iconic.”
“A-Players don't get lucky. They make lucky.”
Go After the Right Things
If you’re going to invest time and energy into chasing after something, make sure it is something that matters.
“Our culture tells us to pursue titles and trinkets, applause and acclaim, money and mansions. All that’s fine - it truly is - so long as you don’t get brainwashed into defining your worth as a human being by these things. Enjoy them, just don’t get attached to them. Have them, just don’t base your identity around them. Appreciate them, just don’t need them.“
“The first fifty years of our lives are a lot about seeking legitimacy, you know. We crave social approval. We want our peers to respect us. We hope our neighbors will like us. We buy all sorts of things we really don’t need and obsess about making money we really don’t enjoy.”
Leadership is About Making a Difference
Sharma notes that leadership is not about the big office or the fancy job title. It’s about making a difference.
“Leadership is about making a difference, right where you’re planted.”
“Because leadership is a lot less about having a formal title, a large office and money in the bank. And a lot more about committing to mastery over all you do - and in who you are.”
“I believe the humblest is the greatest. Pure leaders are so secure in their own skin their main mission is the elevation of others. They have such self-respect, joyfulness and peacefulness within themselves that they don’t need to advertise their success to society in a feeble attempt to feel a little better.”
“...one of the primary aims of a wonderfully crafted life is contribution. Impact. Usefulness. Helpfulness. What business-builders might call ‘unlocking stakeholder value.”...to lead is to serve.”
Focus Your Energies
It is impossible to do everything at once. If you want to succeed in life, try to focus your energies on just a few tasks, projects, or goals.
“Simplify. Streamline everything. Become a purist…concentrate on just a few projects…”
“Stop managing your time and start managing your focus.”
Taking this simple step will help you make quantum leaps in productivity.
Optimizing the early hours of the morning is a golden opportunity to set up success for the entire day. Leaders at the highest levels make better daily choices than average people. A good investment made every day, compounds and leads to extraordinary things.
The Four Interior Empires
The 5AM Club espouses a holistic approach to self-improvement. It teaches that individuals who want to be successful should not spend all their time trying to be more productive or efficient.
Instead, they should polish all of their four interior empires:
Mindset (Psychology)
Most gurus focus on developing their clients’ mindsets. They do so because it drives most of our behavior as human beings.
However, it’s vital to remember that mindset is just one of our four interior empires. We shouldn't devote all of our energy to developing it.
Heartset (Emotionality)
We cannot succeed if our hearts are filled with anger, sadness, disappointment, or fear.
Spend a few minutes a day developing your emotionality if you want to become your best self.Healthset (Physicality)
A healthy body leads to a healthy brain. Dial in your physical health so your brain is operating at its highest level.
“Getting healthy and ultra-fit worked wonders for my business, you know?”
Try to work out for at least 15-30 minutes a day.
Soulset (Spirituality)
If you want to succeed in life, you must remember who you truly are.
“...soar with the angels of your highest nature and dance with the gods of your most precious talents…”
The stronger your relationship with your inner self becomes, the more successful you will be.
The 5AM Club Method
“The greatest starting point for winning in your work and making a splendid life is joining what I call The 5AM Club. How can you ever be world-class if you don’t carve out some time each morning to make yourself world-class?”
The 5AM Club method is known as “The Mother of All Routines.” It involves building a new habit of investing the first hour of your day in high-value activities that maximize personal growth and personal development. It establishes a consistent practice of working on the most important things first thing in the morning.
Sharma believes the steps you take during this “Victory Hour” will improve the rest of your day and transform every aspect of your life.
Here’s how it works:
The Habit Installation Protocol
The Habit Installation Protocol is a 66-day process. It involves three stages:
Deconstruction
Destroy your past patterns and re-write your way of thinking. This step will be difficult - but it will be worth it in the end.
“If it wasn’t hard initially, it wouldn't be real - and valuable - change.”
See Also90/90/1 rule | Notion Template
Remember, a space shuttle uses more fuel in the sixty seconds after liftoff than it uses during an entire orbit around Earth.
Installation
Begin installing your new operating manual. During this stage, you are likely to feel confused but hopeful. You’ll sense that bigger things are just around the corner.
Integration
Finalize the integration of your new early-rising habit into your daily life. The 5AM Club method will become your new normal.
The 20/20/20 Formula
The 5AM Club recommends breaking your 60-minute Victory Hour up into 20-minute blocks:
5:00-5:20 AM (Move)
Exercise vigorously. Make sure you sweat.
Your cortisol levels are highest in the morning. This hormone can stunt your genius, but exercise significantly lowers it.
Sweating also releases BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), a powerful protein that repairs damaged cells and accelerates the formation of neural connections.
5:20-5:40 AM (Reflect)
Do something that will free your mind. Enjoy a period of deep peace.
Meditate. Pray. Journal. Brainstorm. Whatever works best for you.
“Be thoughtful and intentional on the values you want to be loyal to over the hours ahead of you.”
5:40-6:00 AM (Grow)
Do something that will expand your knowledge of your industry or teach you a new skill.
Sharma recommends reading a book, listening to a podcast, or watching a short documentary.
“To double your income and impact, triple your investment in personal mastery and personal capability.”
Sleep
To perform at the peak of your capabilities during the day, you need a good night’s sleep.
The 5AM Club suggests following this pre-sleep ritual to ensure you get 7.5 hours of sleep every night:
7:00-8:00 PM
Eat your final meal of the day. Ideally, that meal should be something healthy and nutritious.
Close your social media apps, turn off your electronic devices, and enjoy a distraction-free hour.
8:00-9:00 PM
Unwind. Read a book or have a conversation with a loved one.
You can also use this time to meditate or take an Epsom salt bath.
9:00-10:00 PM
Go to your bedroom and begin preparing for sleep.
Ensure your room is cool, dark, and free of technology. You don’t want anything to interrupt your sleep!
Quick Takeaways
The 5AM Club is packed full of actionable tips, insights, and advice. I highly recommend reading it in full to see how it has helped transform thousands of ordinary people into top performers.
However, if you do not have time in your busy schedule to read it right now, here are a few quick takeaways you can put into action immediately:
The 90/90/1 Rule: For 90 days, schedule the first 90 minutes of your workday on the one activity that, when completed at a world-class level, will help you own your field.
The 60/10 Method: After running your 90/90/1 segment, use the time to work at your best for 60 minutes. Then refuel for 10 minutes by listening to music or taking a walk.
The Second Wind Workout: Schedule a second workout at the end of your day to give you a second wind for a great evening.
The Two Massage Protocol: Get two 90-minute deep-tissue massages per week. They will reduce your muscle tension and increase your serotonin levels.
Traffic University: Use your commute to listen to podcasts or audiobooks that will help you get ahead in your work.
The Dream Team Technique: Surround yourself with people who are leaders at what they do and will make your rise to legendary status quicker and easier.
The Twin Cycles of Elite Performance: Couple the high-performance cycle with a deep recovery cycle. Rest is an essential ingredient for elite performers.
For more advice on how to succeed in life, whether it’s a small change, big idea, or a summary of a potentially life-changing book, subscribe to my newsletter!
Quotes to Remember
The 5AM Club features tons of memorable quotes. The 5AM Club features tons of quotes that will help you on the road to a more successful life. Here are a few of my favorites:
“Never mail it in. Always bring it on.”
“World-class is a process, not an event.“
‘You become undefeatable in the world by what you do when no one else is watching.”
“Why be alive if you’re not going to be totally alive?”
‘Install the right habits to make them superstars. And live fascinating, adventurous and purposeful lies.“
“Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.”
Want more quotes that will help you stay focused on your goals? Click here for my blog of 175 quotes on working hard to achieve goals!
Watch a short video clip. Author and expert Robin Sharma gives a 5AM Club summary himself.
About The Author
Emily Sander is an ICF-certified leadership coach with more than 15 years of experience in the business world and the author of Hacking Executive Leadership. She’s been featured in several print publications, online articles, and podcasts, including CEO Today Magazine, Leading to Fulfillment, and Leadership Powered by Common Sense.
Emily has a passion for helping business leaders reach their full potential. Go here to read her story from seasoned executive to knowledgeable coach. If you want to send Emily a quick message, then visit her contact page here.
Emily Sander
