I was listening to a personal development interview this morning that had so many great ideas, practices and tips to live an extraordinary life. Brian Johnson was interviewing Robin Sharma about some of his latest books and practices. One item that resonated with me was being a part of the 5 a.m. Club!

I became a member of the 5 a.m. club by chance, not by making a conscious commitment to join.  A couple years back, I committed to doing a 6 week personal development workshop. Months before the workshop, my ex-husband and I had separated after 13 years of marriage. I was struggling with how to create my new life,  productively manage parenting time, and become financially secure. I joined the workshop that my close friend recommended. In doing so, I was also committing to 5 a.m. workshop and exercise sessions. This meant rising at 3:30 or 4 a.m. versus my usual 7 a.m. During the workshop, I would frequently wonder, “Wow, why did I choose this?” Nonetheless, I was all in! Consequently, I started to go to bed much earlier because 7 hours of sleep was another workshop commitment.

I started to cherish my early mornings.  They were so quiet, peaceful and productive. I enjoyed driving to my workshop and exercise sessions before the sun was up and seeing the sunrise. I felt like I was getting a head start on my day, while most others were still sleeping.

The workshop has obviously passed and I continue to be a part of the 5 a.m. Club, and I love it! I wake up between 4:15 and 5 a.m. and get my day off to an incredible start with a workout, personal development work, journaling, visualization and a meal of oatmeal with protein and veggie juice. I start my other work by 6 a.m. My sister and I were talking the other day and she asked, “Wait, so by noon, you’ve already put in 6 hours of your work day?” I have, and it’s a beautiful thing. Today, I like to optimize simplicity. It’s the small daily habits and commitment to the fundamentals that have made all the difference. Being extremely consistent has produced insane results over the past couple years in all areas of my life.

I wasn’t always a 5 a.m. member. On the contrary, I would stay up late, watch TV, drink wine, snack on unhealthy food and surf the internet. Transferring these unproductive night hours to productive morning hours has been a game changer!

Congratulations to all who have become a 5 a.m. club member! Research tells us, changing a habit takes approximately 28 days.  It will likely be challenging in the beginning. However in the end, it will be glorious and beautiful. Are you willing to change simple, daily habits to see insane results in your productivity, health and happiness?

Love, Heather