Book Review: The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma

Robin Sharma is one author whom I have come to like over the years after reading two of his books: The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, and Who Will Cry When You Die? I dare say that I have developed a fondness for his work. It is for this reason that I didn’t hesitate when I came across one of his books recently. In fact, I had to set aside a book I was reading just to read Sharma’s book. He titled it “The 5 AM Club: Own Your Morning, Elevate Your Life.”

“The 5 AM Club” is a self-help book that emphasizes the need to adopt the lifestyle of waking up early in order to be productive. Sharma believes an individual is most productive and creative in the early hours of the morning. According to him, when one invests an hour each morning (from 5 to 6 AM), the person’s life can be transformed.

Sharma made the book more interesting by narrating a story to convey the message of the book. The story follows the journey of an entrepreneur, a struggling artist, and a business tycoon who, in their quest for more wisdom on being productive, met a mysterious person known as the “Spellbinder,” who can pass for a sage and mentor. The spellbinder, sometimes assisted by the business tycoon, takes them from one location to another, teaching them the importance of waking up at 5 AM. He used inspiring anecdotes and practical activities to teach them how to implement the 5 AM routine to become more productive and achieve success.

To help the reader understand more about productivity, he incorporated various personal development concepts, such as the importance of continuous learning, resilience, and the pursuit of one’s goals with passion and purpose. He tried to ensure that a reader develops a growth mindset.

One of the things I love about the book is that it emphasizes the importance of morning routines. The book will make you understand that how you start your day sets the tone for the rest of it. Unlike other motivational books that are more theoretical, this book offers a structured formula for the 5 AM routine. Sharma called the formula the ‘20/20/20 formula.’ The formula suggests that the first hour when one wakes up should be divided into three 20-minute segments, with the first 20 minutes dedicated to exercising. The second 20 minutes should be used for reflection (journaling, meditating, or contemplation), and the last 20 minutes should be devoted to growth, either by reading, reviewing your goals, or studying a topic of interest. He opined that observing the 20/20/20 formula every morning will prime an individual’s body and mind for a productive day.

According to Sharma, it takes sixty-six days of constant practice of the 20/20/20 formula to make the 5 AM routine a habit. To back this up, he said, “Small, daily, seemingly insignificant improvements, when done consistently over time, do yield staggering results. Daily micro-wins and infinitesimal optimizations really are the surest way to a life that you’ll be ever so proud of at the end.” This resonates with some of the things James Clear emphasized in his book ‘Atomic Habits.’

Personally, reading this book was more of a wake-up call because it challenged me to have second thoughts about my habits. It reminded me that only I have control over my time and energy. I was motivated to try some of the practical activities suggested by the author to see if they work for me.

However, as much as I find the book enlightening and engaging, I must admit that there are some things about the book I didn’t like. It was a bit repetitive. Some of the scenarios explained in the tale featuring the struggling artist, entrepreneur, and business tycoon were unrealistic. The conversations between the characters were cliché. Perhaps that was why some of the chapters were unnecessarily lengthy.

Also, while I find the 5 AM routine intriguing, there was no sufficient evidence by the author to rationalize most of the things he suggested. Adopting most of the things he suggested is practically impossible for some people because of differences in lifestyle, personality, and preferences. For instance, an individual who works from 9 to 5 will find it difficult to adopt the 5 AM routine.

Anyone who seeks valuable insights on how to improve their life and productivity can try this book. You never know what you might discover about yourself and your potential.