Start the Day Right With a Productive First Hour

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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What is it important to start the day right? How does your first hour upon waking up set the tone for the rest of your day?

According to Robin Sharma, the author of The 5 AM Club, the first hour after you wake up—your Victory Hours—is your most productive hour of the day. That’s why it’s so important to start the day right because your body and brain are recharged and more capable of focus and creative thought.

Read about why it’s important to start the day right, according to Robin Sharma.

Start the Day Right: A Maxim for Success

What separates the successful from the mediocre is a steadfast determination to take the gifts you have and maximize their benefit. This maximization happens during the Victory Hour, when you have an opportunity to learn about your strengths and what is required for you to cultivate them to a high standard. 

This dedicated time is the antithesis of how many of us live. We’re used to rushing during the day, feeling like there’s never enough time to complete everything we want to do or need to do to feel successful. But when you start the day right and commit to dedicated and disciplined practice, you gain an advantage over your time and actions, essentially making your own luck by accentuating what is possible over what is known. 

Research suggests that your perception of your potential dictates your behavior and results. If you believe you’re not capable of achieving greatness, you won’t ever achieve it because you likely won’t put forth the effort to try. Why study, train, and work hard to succeed if there is a cap to what you’re able to accomplish? 

You have the potential to become great in whatever you set your mind to. You have a unique gift you were born to excel at, and you have an inherent drive to reach your full potential that, when allowed to flourish, can motivate you to strive for greatness. Regardless of whether you want to be a professional athlete, a CEO, or a baker, you can use the Victory Hour to examine your potential and shorten the distance between reality and your perception of reality. 

The most important aspect of the Victory Hour is the way it sets the stage for a productive day. Each day should be seen as a singular representation of your full life. What you do today adds to the path that leads to your future. 

The reason practitioners of the 5 AM Club are so successful at achieving their goals and potential is because they live and breathe this maxim start the day right. You can adjust the morning routine to serve your week as you see fit, but realize that a part-time commitment will never lead to full-time results. Start the day right and own each morning to allow your momentum to increase exponentially and create a beautiful and full life. 

Start the Day Right With a Productive First Hour

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Like what you just read? Read the rest of the world's best book summary and analysis of Robin Sharma's "The 5 AM Club" at Shortform .

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

Darya Sinusoid

Darya’s love for reading started with fantasy novels (The LOTR trilogy is still her all-time-favorite). Growing up, however, she found herself transitioning to non-fiction, psychological, and self-help books. She has a degree in Psychology and a deep passion for the subject. She likes reading research-informed books that distill the workings of the human brain/mind/consciousness and thinking of ways to apply the insights to her own life. Some of her favorites include Thinking, Fast and Slow, How We Decide, and The Wisdom of the Enneagram.

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