This past weekend two of my clients, Julie and Barb, both ran Marathon's they have been training so hard for.   The should both be so proud of reaching their goals and all the work they have put in.

Time is valuable. Everyone is busy and everyone prioritizes differently but I cannot stress enough how important regular exercise and personal growth are everyday. I hear it all the time " I just don't have time to workout" or "I'm just not a morning person" . But how much time do you waste browsing the internet on your phone, looking at Instagram, Facebook or snap chat? Watching mindless TV? These things are not going to make you world class.  What the 5 am club reminded me is that if I want to be the best in my field, my life as a wife and mother, then I need to put in the work everyday, and for me this meant making a few changes to my morning routine. "Nothing works for those who don't do the work". Here are a few rules from the 5am Club by Robin Sharma, with my added touch!!


Rule 1:
Do you need to check social media 20x a day?? Do you really need to unwind at the end of the day by watching mindless TV?? No, these are just habits you have created.  Or a crazy idea... instead of feeling the need to always be doing something or looking at your phone, just sit and let your mind wonder.  This is often when I think of new exercises! Instead do something to improve what the 5 am Club refers to as the four interior empires:  Mindset - read or listen to something that is going to make your smarter, advance your career; Heartset - forgiveness, allowing yourself to move on from hardships of the past in order to improve your future;  Soulset - this is your courage, conviction and compassion within. Meditate or take some time in the morning to visualize how you want to tackle the day;  Healthset - in order to fulfill your life goals you need to be alive. So longevity is the key. You only have one body in this world so take care of it.

Rule 2:
"Excuses breed no genius.  Just because you haven't installed the early-rising habit before doesn't mean you can't do it now.  Small daily improvements, when done consistently over time, lead to stunning results."   It takes 66 day's to make something a habit.  Start today.  Pick one thing you want to work on and do it everyday.  No more excuses.  With all your free time away from social media and TV you now have time for that workout!

Rule 3:
"All change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end."   -Cchange is tough. Becoming a part of the 5am club may mean changing your morning and evening routine. Sleep is still very important so no more late nights. Even after 66 day's you will have hard days but I promise you will feel amazing when it is 9am and you have already worked out, ate two meals, worked on your mindset, and have three hours of work under your belt.  

Rule 4:
"To have the results the top 5% of producers have, you must start doing what 95% of people are unwilling to do." - This rule can be applied to every goal you have.  If you are trying to lose weight it means saying no to dessert when everyone else if having it. Leaving a party early to ensure you can still get up on time for your workout.  If your goal is to become the best in your field it means spending every extra minute you have learning and advancing your skills.  "You will not become world class if you do not take the time to make yourself world class.

Rule 5:
Remember it takes 66 day's to create a habit. Use the 5 second rule by Mel Robbins (another great book). 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and Go.  Do not think about how tired you are, just get up and go before your mind convinces you to stay in bed.

I have been an early riser for most of my life due to work, kids and life, but my husband for many years was on the opposite schedule.  Christmas of 2018 I found the book "The 5am Club" by Robin Sharma.  I bought this without reading it and gave it to my husband as a gift.  I had no idea what it was about but assumed it would teach him the benefits of waking up at 5am.  His response was "I do not want to be part of the 5am club".  But he read the book and now I am happy to report he is no longer a night owl.  He consistently gets up at 5am everyday, yes even when we were in Hawaii for two weeks he was up at 5am!

I leave the house by 4:30 am so had no real idea what he was doing at 5am, I assumed he was just working.  I started asking more questions about what the book taught him and what he did at 5am and realized in one hour he would workout, listen to an audio book or podcast, meditate, and write in his journal.  I soon realized that I needed to read this book.  I have no problem getting up and getting my workouts in but now I felt like I was missing out on what more I could be doing to really elevate my life.    

I would like to share some of the things I have learnt over the next couple of weeks but I also recommend that you read it.  It is available on audible as well.

For now I leave you with this:

"Take excellent care of the front end of your day, and the rest of your day will pretty much take care of itself.  Own your mornings. Elevate your life."

"To find your best self you must lose your weak self.  And that only happens through relentless improvement, continuous reflection and ongoing self - excavation.  If you don't keep rising daily you'll get stuck in your life, for the rest of your life".

So whether you are trying to find time in your day to workout,  meal prep,  have some alone time before the kids wake up,  whatever it is you are striving for I truly believe that you need that hour before the sun comes up.  Before the rest of the world gets up.