ROADTEST: 'I tried joining the 5am club. Here's how it actually went.'

I’ve become an early riser recently, and it’s absolutely intentional. 

It’s a routine called the 5am Club, and in an attempt to claw back some precious personal time, I challenged myself to try it out for a month.

A few years ago, when I first heard about this early morning habit (outlined in Robin Sharma’s book of the same name), my first thought was who on earth would want to do that?

It’s not that I sleep late – though at times I’ll admit I’ve faced the battle of the snooze button – I just think my waking comfort zone has always been around the more friendly (read tolerable) time of 6:30/7am.

Watch: Here are our hacks for a better night's sleep. Post continues after video.

I’d also fallen into the trap of telling myself that I’m more of a night owl and would often stay up late once my kids and husband went to bed in order to get some quiet ‘me’ time. I’m sure many readers can relate.

But I was finding these late-night sessions were unproductive, wasting time scrolling on my phone or watching TV. Certainly, not terrible, no judgement here – I appreciate a good binge as much as the next person. The next day I’d be pretty tired though.

So the very thought of getting up regularly at 5am was foreign to me, but I was prepared to give it a go because I was craving ‘me’ time.

With a full-time job, parenting, spending time with my family and the daily domestic to-do’s, I didn’t have any distraction-free time to work on creative and personal projects.

The 5am Club habit was designed to maximise productivity and focus on personal well-being. 

I was seeking some precious ‘me’ time.

It sounded like an ideal fit. 

The project.

Right off the bat, I decided not to follow the traditional 5am Club schedule exactly – the 20-20-20 format: 20 minutes of exercise, 20 minutes of meditation, journaling or planning, and 20 minutes of study.

The exercise part was something I could do after 6am. I just wanted to use that quiet hour between 5 and 6 (when no one else in the house was awake) to focus on the other two parts.

My biggest question going in was "how am I going to make myself get out of bed that early?"

From day one I knew my only hope of success was to go to bed with my phone (hence alarm) across the other side of the bedroom. I knew from personal experience that if it was within reach; it was an easy, half-asleep stretch to hit the snooze button before snuggling back into my comfy position.

So, across the room it went. 

Day One – my alarm went off, and I sprung out of bed eagerly. I guess it was the excitement and adrenaline of doing something new (like getting up early to go to the airport).

I felt fresh and ready to go. The house was silent, and I settled in and spent the hour reading and journaling. 

I’ve become accustomed to noise in the house, so the fact I could literally hear the ticking of the wall clock... it was really something else!

Image: Supplied.

That first hour felt endless. There were no interruptions, not one. The experiment was off to a great start.

Throughout the following month, the strategic alarm placement and the incentive of a blissfully silent house continued to work surprisingly well, and I was up each weekday by 5am.

The results.

To be honest, I thought I’d reach a slump or a tired tipping point and be tempted to give up, but the opposite happened.

I began craving my morning time. It seemed that this ‘distraction-free’ time was exactly what I needed.

Most days I would use the time for reading and a bit of journaling before getting into some study or planning. Occasionally I would throw in a quick meditation too. Sometimes I’d work in my home office and other times I’d get comfy on the lounge. My motto was ‘keep it flexible’.

Image: Supplied.

I was surprised to find that even with this early rising I didn’t get too tired throughout the rest of the day, apart from the usual mid-afternoon slump. That could have been pure luck but was more likely me ensuring I was in bed around 9:30/10pm each night (everyone’s different of course, but I know I need a solid seven to eight hours of sleep to function well).

The month flew by and, apart from a day here or there, I didn’t struggle to get up when my alarm went off. 

I would quietly tiptoe around in the dark and get stuck into whatever I wanted to achieve that particular morning – it was great.

The hour felt like a solid chunk of time and some mornings I’d even extend it by a little. I felt I had achieved so much before my regular day had even begun – it was quite addictive.

Like anything, of course, there were challenges. A couple of mornings I gave myself a bit of a buffer and made it a 5:30am alarm as I was recovering from a head cold. This experiment was all about my well-being after all.

And come nighttime I was tired. But I expected that. 

My verdict.

So, did this extra time increase my personal productivity?

Ultimately, yes. I worked on some projects and read things I’d been meaning to get to for a while. 

I really felt the 5am habit set me up for the rest of the day. I’m not sure whether it was feeling positive about already achieving something in my morning or the fact that I was just proud of myself for seeing it through, but I found myself starting the rest of my day with a spring in my step.

An unexpected emotion was a positive kind of anticipation. Rather than dreading the thought of my alarm going off so early, I actually felt quite excited when I’d set my alarm at night, looking forward to my 5am ‘me’ time.

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I learnt that I’m capable of doing things I’d previously thought I’d really struggle at. And I was pleasantly surprised how much I actually enjoyed it.

I think being a bit flexible was crucial for me. By not sticking rigidly to the structure, instead coming up with a routine that suited me and my goals, gave me control.

Of course, a month is not a long time, and they say it takes around 60 days to form a new habit. So, am I going to keep this up?

I already have!

Since finishing my month I’ve continued getting up early. Not every single weekday like I was, but at least a couple of times a week. I’m going to continue using this time to work towards some personal goals. 

And who knows, maybe next month I’ll even tackle a challenge that’s been on my radar for a (very) long time…achieving inbox zero. 

Wish me luck, I think I’ll need it!

Feature Image: Supplied.