Book Review: The 5 AM Club

Reviewer: Wekulo K.

Title: The 5 AM Club: Own Your Morning, Elevate Your LifeAuthor: Robin SharmaDate of Publication: December 4, 2018Publisher: HarperCollins Publisher

Price: Ksh 2,495

Category: Self-help/Personal Development with elements of Business and Productivity

You will also like the following in the same category:

Atomic Habits by James Clear, The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod, Deep Work by Cal Newport, High Performance Habitsby Brendon Burchard, Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty, Tools of Titans" by Tim Ferriss 

Robin Sharma's "The 5 AM Club" presents a transformative morning routine methodology wrapped in a fictional narrative. The book follows a struggling entrepreneur and an unhappy artist who meet a charismatic billionaire at a seminar, who then becomes their mentor and introduces them to the life-changing habit of rising at 5 AM. Through this storytelling approach, Sharma unveils his "5 AM Club" concept along with numerous models and frameworks for personal mastery, productivity, and well-being. The narrative serves as a vehicle to deliver Sharma's philosophy that exceptional early morning habits lead to exceptional life results.

The central ideology of "The 5 AM Club" revolves around what Sharma calls the "20/20/20 Formula" - a morning routine that divides the first hour after waking at 5 AM into three 20-minute segments dedicated to exercise, reflection/planning, and learning. This structured approach is built on Sharma's belief that early rising creates a "victory hour" that sets a positive tone for the entire day and leads to exponential growth over time. Sharma weaves together concepts from neuroscience, performance psychology, and wisdom traditions to create a holistic philosophy focused on optimizing one's life through disciplined daily practices, self-leadership, and personal resilience. The book emphasizes that world-class performance comes not from occasional heroic efforts but from consistent daily habits maintained over time.

This book is ideal for ambitious professionals, entrepreneurs, and individuals committed to personal growth who feel their current routines aren't helping them reach their potential.

"An addiction to distraction is the end of your creative production. Empire-makers and history-creators all understand that you can't do big things if you're distracted by small things." – Robin Sharma