Book Review: The 5 AM Club

The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life. by Robin Sharma
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It makes sense if you start your day super early and have a set routine, you'll probably feel more accomplished and less stressed. I didn't love the fictional part of the book, but overall it is worth reading and worth testing out the 20/20/20 formula.

Summary: The 5 AM Club suggests that waking up early regularly creates protected time for personal growth. Through a fictional story, the book introduces the 20/20/20 formula: 20 minutes of movement, 20 minutes of reflection, and 20 minutes of learning. Robin Sharma’s main idea is that small, consistent morning habits build up over time, boosting focus, energy, and long-term performance by decreasing reactivity and decision fatigue later in the day.

You can expand on this formula by adding nutrition habits; this helps make healthier food choices feel automatic rather than hard, leading to sustained energy, focus, and metabolic health throughout the day. For example, batch-cook roasted vegetables and soups on weekends, so healthy lunches are ready during the week. Another tip: Make your first meal of the day savory to improve blood sugar control and prevent spikes and crashes.

Advantages: Starting the day with the first hour dedicated to essential tasks makes sense before distractions set in. You feel a sense of accomplishment, which boosts your mood and reinforces a more disciplined lifestyle.

Disadvantages: Getting up at 5 am might not be feasible for everyone without affecting others. Or maybe you wake up at 5 am to handle other essential tasks, such as making and packing lunches or attending early meetings. Also, you shouldn’t shortchange yourself on sleep; waking at 5 am means being in bed by 9 pm, which isn’t always possible. Social events or sleep may have to be sacrificed in pursuit of the 5 am club.

This book is unlike most self-help books. Readers might feel impatient as the story unfolds and reveals the promised principles. The lengthy narrative may cause some sections to be skimmed.

Overall, the book is recommended for those seeking guidance on morning routines and productivity. If you can commit to this regimen or a similar one, be prepared to go to bed early, consider how it might impact those around you, and prioritize your health and well-being through the process.

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Book Review: The Lazy Genius Way

The Lazy Genius Way: Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn't, and Get Stuff Done by Kendra Adachi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Determine what matters most to you and make it a priority. By going through the 13 principles presented in this book, you will learn what these priorities are and how you can optimize and grow in these areas. It will also help you leave behind what is not that important to you. There are 15 chapters packed with practical productivity hacks, solutions, case studies, and prompts to get started.

 

13 Principles:

1. Decide once
2. Start small
3. Ask the magic question
4. Live in the season
5. Build the right routines
6. Set house rules
7. Put everything in its place
8. Let people in
9. Batch it
10. Essentialize
11. Go in the right order
12. Schedule rest
13. Be kind to yourself

Each chapter has a summary of the key points and an exercise to try. The author’s personal examples, case studies, and tips are down to earth and help illustrate the principles. I especially enjoyed the magic question examples, e.g., how to make coming home from vacation easier.
Some things you know, may do already, or haven’t been successful at implementing. Sections that were not relatable, I just skimmed. For example, I don’t have young kids, so these ideas and case studies were not applicable to my situation. Other ideas seemed too tedious or obvious to try.

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