"Joining the 5 AM Club: Pros and Cons of Waking Up Early for Success"
Is this a one size fits all though?
Photo by Brakou Abdelghani
Have you ever wondered why some people tend to get things done without any struggle? It’s like no matter how busy they are, somehow they manage to get that particular thing done. Whether it be an assignment, project, or whatever else it might be. Well, I may have an answer on why this may be the case, and it involves having to wake up early in the morning.
How early? The most common number that I have seen so far is 5 a.m. Not only that, but this has also created a movement. This has become known as the 5 AM club.
What is the 5 am Club?
The best way to put this is that you wake up at 5 a.m., and you set aside an hour to do whatever you need to do. From getting projects done to chores and homework assignments, you get the idea. It allows you an extra hour to not be distracted by anything. Let’s be honest, most of us are still asleep at 5 a.m.
It encourages you to wake up early in the morning, so you can have that time to work on what is needed. However, everyone will be different when it comes to getting things completed. So what is it that makes this popular? Well, let's get it into it
Getting things done earlier
Let's take a bit of time to think about this. How often do you often procrastinate on something, thinking that you will get it later during the day? Only to realize that you have no energy left to work on that particular thing. It happens to most of us. Getting things done earlier, allows us to complete those tasks before the day starts.
Fewer distractions from family and friends
If you have a family that you have to take care of, chances are that your time is often limited. Even if you manage to finish everything that you need to do with the family, you feel exhausted by the end of the day. The same can also go for friends. When it comes to getting something done, but your friends invite you to a movie, it can be hard to not choose the movie. After all, that task can wait, right? Depending on what time of day it is, you have some energy left once you get out of the movies, or you have none left at all.
By waking up at 5 a.m., you have the opportunity to get things done. Most people are asleep at that time and are not going to bother you. Which gives you plenty of time to work on whatever you need to do.
Getting your goals completed
If you set yourself goals that you want to do, then you understand the importance of getting those goals done. Especially when you are on a deadline. Depending on what your schedule looks like, it can either be simple to get done, or it can be a challenge to get it done. By waking up at 5 a.m., you are eliminating most of those obstacles that you deal with. That and you can focus without distraction.
Many people have used this to help them out. A few examples are Oprah, Bill Gates, and Tony Robbins who have used this to help them out with their goals.
While the 5 a.m. club seems to be the perfect thing to help you get things done. There are a couple of problems with it. While I know that I may get comments from people that there is nothing wrong with it, there are things that people tend to overlook.
Lack of sleep
If you’re not getting the required amount of sleep during the night, then you will struggle with this big time. Expecting to do well, especially when you have only 3 hours of sleep, is not going to help you out. You must get at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep.
Not everyone is productive in the morning.
While this does work for some, it may not work for others. One thing that the 5 a.m. rule does not take into account is when the individual’s productivity is highest. It doesn’t take into account that it may be higher during the evening hours, than compared to the morning hours. Again, everyone is going to be different.
Nightowl vs. Earlybird debate
If you do a bit of searching online, you will notice that there is a lot of debate when it comes to the 5 a.m. club. It can get to the point where it gets toxic, and as a result, it gets both parties pissed off.
Staying consistent
It can be difficult to keep consistent with it, especially when it requires you to wake up at a time you are not used to. Plus it takes time to wake up every day at 5 am. So don’t expect immediate results at first, it takes a few tries before you can get consistent with it.
So what is it that people might object to doing the 5 a.m. club? There are a few things, though keep in mind that this is a small list.
I can always get it completed at a later time
True, while some people may be able to complete whatever they need to do later during the day, for others, not so much. It’s all going to depend on how well they function during the day.
Attempting to do too much at once.
We need to realize that we were never meant to multi-task. Trying to do too much at once can lead to burnout in the future. While we are getting things done easier by multi-tasking, it also burns out our productivity.
Staying committed
This can be difficult to pull off if you are not committed to fully putting 100 percent into it. Especially when you are barely beginning to get up at 5 a.m. It’s important to stay committed once you start.
When I first started doing the 5 a.m. club, it was rough at first. Keep in mind that I am a night owl and I wanted to attempt something different. While I was getting things done during the evening, I kept getting distracted during the evening hours, so I decided to give it a try.
I did not realize how much I would struggle at first to get used to this kind of habit. One thing to keep in mind is that my sleep schedule was horrible. I would get at least 3 hours of sleep. However, the amount of work that I was getting done was insane. I will say that I felt more focused when it came to doing tasks in the early morning. I liked the fact that I was able to get my tasks done in the early morning.
Here was the downside to it though. By the time 12 p.m. came, I was done. I had a hard time functioning for the rest of the day. It wasn’t until I fixed my sleep schedule is when I was able to function better.
So, what can you do to ensure that you can get your things done? Here are a few ideas.
Set a time that works best for you
While the 5 Aa.m. club works, you also need to make sure that it's something that you are willing to do. If you have more energy during the evening hours, then by all means, go for it. People will function better depending on what works best for them, whether it be day or night.
Don’t feel pressured to get everything done like everyone else
It can be easy to feel pressured to do what everyone else is doing. Do yourself a favor and don’t worry if you are not able to get things done in the morning. Remember that this is not a competition. Do what works for you, and you will be able to get your tasks done.
That’s all I have for now.