This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "The 5 AM Club" by Robin Sharma. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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Building a new habit isn’t just about willpower—it’s about rewiring your brain. Robin Sharma breaks down the neuroscience behind lasting change. He argues that real transformation happens in three distinct phases over roughly 66 days.
Understanding these stages can help you stick with new habits when things get tough. Read on to discover what happens in your brain during each phase and how to navigate the journey to lasting change.
Originally Published: March 3, 2021
Last Updated: December 17, 2025
Your Brain Rewires in 3 Stages
In The 5 AM Club, Robin Sharma contends that it takes around 66 days to build a new neural pathway. During this period, you’ll travel through three 22-day stages on the way to automaticity: deconstruction, installation, and integration.
(Shortform note: Sharma cites research from the University College London that habit formation takes around 66 days, but it’s important to note that this is the average based on the study; results from person to person varied from 18 to 254 days.)
Stage 1: Deconstruction
To rewire your brain and ingrain a new way of life, Sharma says your old way of life must cease. During the deconstruction phase, you’ll feel your old self begin to slip away. This sensation will stimulate your Ancient Brain to thwart your progress. This stage is where courage and willpower will help you escape your brain’s efforts to scare you off with fear and doubt. If you remain disciplined in your practice, says Sharma, you’ll eventually succeed in moving to the next stage.
Stage 2: Installation
Now that you’ve successfully erased your old patterns from your brain, the work of rebuilding begins. Sharma explains that your army of neurons will work overtime to construct your new pathway brick by brick over the next 22 days. Because of the energy required, the rest of your faculties will suffer. You may feel out of control, anxious, or confused, and you’ll want to quit, but these feelings are part of the struggle required to transform. Realize that you’re far along the path, and stick with the practice to get to the end.
| The Right Way to Break and Build Habits When trying to overcome ingrained behaviors, you might keep reminding yourself what not to do, but research suggests focusing on the forbidden behaviors makes it harder to break old habits and build new ones. In one study, researchers looked at how consciously suppressing an old habit affected building a new one. While all the participants learned the new habit, those who were told to suppress the old habit didn’t unlearn it—in fact, the old habit got even stronger. The researchers suggest that instead of forcing yourself to break an old habit, you can try these tactics instead: • Make it easier to build a new habit by creating systems that support it. • Find a role model—seeing someone else consistently perform a desired behavior can encourage you to build that habit. • Adopt a growth mindset, or the belief that you can improve through effort and learning. |
Stage 3: Integration
According to Sharma, the final 22 days are when the magic happens. You’ve pushed out of your comfort zone and created a new pattern of behavior. Each day you continue your practice, you pave the new neural pathway to cement the behavior. When you reach the end, your new behavior will have become automatic, and you’ll no longer have to think about it. You’ll be fully immersed in your new way of life.
(Shortform note: Though Sharma’s discussion implies a relatively smooth and predictable process of habit formation, it’s normal to encounter setbacks as you incorporate new habits into your life. Punishing yourself for those setbacks can only undermine your motivation and increase stress, making the process even harder. On the other hand, having self-compassion can help you get over lapses—for example, research suggests that being kind to yourself can help support behavior changes when it comes to health.)
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Here's what you'll find in our full The 5 AM Club summary :
- What the Victory Hour is and how it can change your life
- Why an early morning routine activates your creative and productive potential
- Why the first hour after you wake up is your most productive
