The 5 AM Club is a book written by the award-winning author Robin Sharma. The book discusses how waking up early can help a person feel more inspired while elevating his/her helpfulness and happiness quotients. The four key benefits of waking up at 5 AM are freedom from distractions, conceptualization, proper scheduling, and meditating and planning. The early morning calmness has helped many enhance their personnel productivity.
Here are some habits you can consider inculcating in your daily routine to become a member of the 5 AM club.
Quality Sleep
One of the foremost aspects to be kept in mind if you want to join the 5 AM club and wake up early is to ensure that you have quality sleep. It is recommended that adults have at least 7 hours to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. So, if you plan to wake up at 5 AM, you should plan your day such that you hit the bed by around 10 PM every day.
Wake Up Immediately
Get out of bed as soon as your alarm clock rings. Resist the urge to snooze the alarm and linger on for a few minutes longer in bed. If you find jolting yourself awake difficult at the first ring of your alarm, try placing your alarm clock slightly away from you so that you have to force yourself to get up to turn it off.
Be Consistent
It goes without saying that being consistent is important to achieve any success in life. The same rule applies to joining the 5 AM club. Pat yourself on the back if you woke up for a couple of days at 5 AM. Use this as a motivation factor to continue waking up at the same time every day. Avoid deviating from the routine even on weekends.
Adopt 20/20/20 Rule
The 20/20/20 refers to the first one hour of your day after you wake up at 5 AM. Using this time effectively can make a change in your life. Use the first 20 minutes to exercise and the next 20 minutes to review and plan your daily schedule. The exercise can be as simple as a few stretches of your back, arms, and neck. The last 20 minutes can be used to learn something new and educate yourself. You can also use this prime hour to write things down and focus on how to prioritize your tasks for the day.
Avoid Screen Time
Say a big NO to technology just before you go to bed. It is a good idea to stop watching television just before going to bed. Likewise, consider giving your cell phone a break as well when you go to bed. You can even consider switching it off. Avoid setting your wakeup alarm on your phone as this will tempt you to stop the alarm and check other things like social media on your phone without getting up from the bed.
Healthy Breakfast
All of us know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Thus, it is important that you get this meal right every single day. Make sure your breakfast has natural ingredients instead of processed food. The right breakfast should include cereals, nuts, and fruits.
There is a well-known saying “Early to bed and early to rise makes a person healthy, wealthy and wise.” The 5 AM Club stands testimony to this statement and the people of this club have immensely benefitted from being an early riser. Waking up early can enhance your mental strength and keep you free of stress even on rushed days. It can also pave way for a positive morning that in turn guides you to make positive choices. Another key takeaway of becoming a member of the 5 AM club is that it gives you more quality time to think and reflect, thereby increasing both your productivity and creativity.
What else are you waiting for? Join the club as soon as possible and see a positive difference in your life for yourself.