Chrissy’s Review: The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma

The 5 AM Club: Own Your Morning, Elevate Your Life
written by Robin Sharma
published by HarperCollins Publishers, 2018

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Apple Books, Target, Kobo, Book Depository, Goodreads

Did I enjoy this book? I did not. I started reading this book a few years ago, but I put it down. I remember picking it up again last year, but I put it down. I picked it up again a few weeks ago with the determination to finish it. And I finally did. Needless to say, it did not hold my attention or drive me to read it. I had to force myself to finish it. And it isn’t anything I haven’t read or learned before.

The author uses a story about a billionaire, a motivational speaker, and two individuals (an entrepreneur and an artist) to convey his approach and method to “own your morning, elevate your life.” I think the story could have been a great tool to effectively communicate the methods, but it just wasn’t done well. There’s a love story and an attempted murder plot, neither of which truly served a purpose in conveying the message and tools of the 5 AM club. The long monologues from the billionaire and the Spellbinder were hard to get through and made it difficult to stay focused on what they were trying to teach. I found myself wanting to skim through the long paragraphs. And it took so long to get to the actual methods and explanations, which were mentioned and teased and built up so much in the beginning of the book. If Mr. Sharma wanted to use a fictional story to convey his methods and concepts, then he would have been better off getting to the point of each concept, explaining it, and letting the reader watch as the characters implemented the steps and became transformed.

Would I recommend it? There are better books out there that discuss morning routines, routines in general, and how to make the most of your day. If you are on a quest to read all the personal/professional development books out there, then sure, read/skim this one. But if you want something that will give you tangible steps in a way that is easy to read, understand, and implement, then skip this one.
 

 
About the book – from Goodreads: Legendary leadership and elite performance expert Robin Sharma introduced The 5am Club concept over twenty years ago, based on a revolutionary morning routine that has helped his clients maximize their productivity, activate their best health and bulletproof their serenity in this age of overwhelming complexity.

Now, in this life-changing book, handcrafted by the author over a rigorous four-year period, you will discover the early-rising habit that has helped so many accomplish epic results while upgrading their happiness, helpfulness and feelings of aliveness.

Through an enchanting—and often amusing—story about two struggling strangers who meet an eccentric tycoon who becomes their secret mentor, The 5am Club will walk you through:
– How great geniuses, business titans and the world’s wisest people start their mornings to produce astonishing achievements
– A little-known formula you can use instantly to wake up early feeling inspired, focused and flooded with a fiery drive to get the most out of each day
– A step-by-step method to protect the quietest hours of daybreak so you have time for exercise, self-renewal and personal growth
– A neuroscience-based practice proven to help make it easy to rise while most people are sleeping, giving you precious time for yourself to think, express your creativity and begin the day peacefully instead of being rushed
– “Insider-only” tactics to defend your gifts, talents and dreams against digital distraction and trivial diversions so you enjoy fortune, influence and a magnificent impact on the world

Part manifesto for mastery, part playbook for genius-grade productivity and part companion for a life lived beautifully, The 5am Club is a work that will transform your life. Forever.

 

 

 

* This post contains affiliate links.

** This post first appeared on Every Free Chance Books (everyfreechance.com) on May 11, 2021.