We’ve all heard about the ‘5am club’.
A generic term used by influencers. Who claim waking up early means success.
But does it?
And more importantly. Should you set your alarm clock for 5am?
I’m going to answer both of these questions. And more.
But first, I need to tell you something:
I wake up at 5am. And it makes me more productive.
Here’s why waking up at 5am works for me:
- It’s a time free from distractions.
- I am enthusiastic to start the day.
- I wake up with ideas I want to action.
- It’s when I naturally wake up.
I don’t set an alarm to wake up at 5am. Surprised? You should be.
But seriously. Why do I wake up at 5am?
I wake up at 5am because I’m an early bird. Because I want to.
This doesn’t make me virtuous. It doesn’t mean I’m more disciplined.
I go to bed early. And I wake up early. It’s that simple.
I fall asleep every night at 9.30pm. Much earlier than most.
That means my productivity is non-existent in the late evening.
I’m not MORE productive because I wake up early.
I just move my productivity to the front of the day.
I also wake up ready to work immediately. That’s natural for me.
I do my best creative work 20 minutes after waking.
And find it harder to focus in the evening.
But should you wake up at 5am?
You can if you want to…
But don’t expect to immediately be more productive. Or successful.
Especially if you need to set an alarm.
Cutting your sleep short will likely diminish your focus.
So that makes no sense.
Note that not everyone is an early bird.
If you:
- Struggle to get going early in the morning.
- Enjoy going to sleep late.
- Focus better at night.
- Are happy with your current productivity.
Then don’t change anything.
Waking up at 5am works for me. But that means nothing for you.
You are unique.
You need to find a wake time that works for you.
And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
