**Type:** Insight **Growth Stage**: <font color="#00b050">evergreen</font> **Last Tended**: 2024-08-19 **Topics**: #5amClub #PersonalGrowth #Wellness #Leadership #LifelongLearning #highperformance --- >[!Directors commentary] >*This piece has been the central point around which my own growth has pivoted. I had started the 5am club journey by chance and impressed with the positive impact I was pleased to share it when the opportunity arose to lead a moment of well-being over lunch for colleagues. This was the kickstarter for everything: the moment to look back and reflect on my journey to this point and find excitement and motivation in the journey ahead - the digital garden, second brain, elevating my content writing, personal mastery etc.* **Reclaiming My Mornings: How the 5am Club Transformed My Life and Work** I recently had the privilege of sharing a deeply personal journey with my colleagues—a journey that has redefined my approach to life, work, and well-being. Over the past three months, I've been practicing the principles of the 5am Club, successfully completing the 66-day habit installation protocol, and it has been nothing short of transformative. After a serious accident in 2017, my recovery journey had been primarily focused on physical rehabilitation. However, the Chris who came back to work in 2018 wasn’t the same. Mentally, I felt stagnant - struggling with the endless cycle of meetings, distractions, and the nagging feeling of never having enough time for what truly matters. I was a “Digital Zombie,” caught in the whirlpool of constant notifications, shallow work, and neglected personal growth. I knew I needed a different approach. Waking up at 5am and dedicating my first hour to the "Victory Hour"—a powerful mix of movement, reflection, and learning—has revolutionised my entire life. - I’ve reclaimed time for deep work and personal projects. - I exercise more consistently and sleep better -improving my health and energy levels. - I’ve made learning a daily habit, diving into books and podcasts like never before. - I am making space for creativity - protecting space for experiences and hobbies. - I am striving to build more meaningful relationships and strengthen those that mean the most to me. The 5am Club isn’t just about waking up early; it’s about taking control of your day before the world wakes up. It’s about building habits that serve your highest goals and creating a life of purpose and intentionality. This marks not just a milestone in my journey but also a new chapter in my commitment to sharing purposeful insights and learning experiences that I hope will inspire others as well. If you’ve been curious about how to take your personal and professional growth to the next level, I’d love to connect and discuss how small daily improvements can lead to stunning results. **#5amClub** **#PersonalGrowth** **#Wellness** **#Leadership** **#LifelongLearning** **#highperformance** ## Open Questions & Implications - Getting timing right to balance with adequate sleep/rest and time in the evening - When or which days to 'take off' from the routine - when are the rest & recovery cycles? - [[Experiencing a 'Micro-burnout']] - Requires patience when life interrupts a streak or your rhythm and your need to restart - [[Have a ladder of acceptable imperfection.]] - Needed 'variations' of the routine for travelling away or into the office - Journalling is a very accessible way to start practicing reflection. - [[Everyone can be a journalist]] - Second Wind Workout is a very powerful for an energy pick-me-up and late afternoon focus - ~={red}*also good for reflection, 'reflection rides' - coming soon*=~ - Required a complete overhaul of my weekly design and using timeblocking to focus on only the essential activities. ~={blue}- *see Essentialism, Greg McKeown*=~ --- *This is a living document in my Digital Garden. It grows and evolves with my thinking and represents my personal thoughts and opinions, and is not part of my work at IBM. However, it is part of my desire to contribute a broader conversation on how we 'get things done' - exploring the impact of tools and techniques aligned to my mission to help individuals and organisations create the settings for sustained growth.* ## Inspiring Inputs *Robin Sharma's the 5am Club* ## Growth Log - 2024-07-02: Initial seed planted - 2024-08-10: Major revision - 2024-08-19: Published on https://www.linkedin.com/posts/chrisjmoreton_5amclub-personalgrowth-wellness-activity-7232439706691477505-cFQW?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop