5AM Club

People in the “5AM Club” get up early so that they can get a head start on their day while everyone else is still sleeping. It gives them a productive edge.

I learned about this during my obsessive productivity phase when I was in Japan. I tried it. I set my alarm, got up at 5am, did my morning routine, and then went out for a walk. I would go to this factory area that jutted out into the sea. At that time, there were no workers. I would meditate in a park, and then do language practice with digital flashcards. However, this wasn’t sustainable.

I usually started work in the afternoons, and worked until evening. I would come home, eat dinner, and watch anime or YouTube. I wasn’t getting to bed early enough to get a full night’s sleep before 5am.

The only time in my life where I was more consistent about getting up early was during my

🎯

Part-time job at Target when I worked the 4AM shift.

Last night, I went to bed at 5AM. I’m part of a different 5AM club. The night owls. The revenge bedtime procrastinators. I stayed up watching movies and messaging people in a timezone a half-day ahead of me. I had a plan over the weekend to fix my sleep schedule so that I could get up early tomorrow for a call. It backfired. I ended up staying up later than usual (which has been 2-3AM).

I have no reason to get up early. I meet my coaching clients in the afternoon. Even when I had a morning writing group, I struggled, because I still stayed up late. I’m not convinced that being a “night owl” is just who I am. My body’s circadian rhythms are out of whack. Sleep is even more important than diet for health. But I am not prioritizing it. My WHOOP band keeps telling me I need to have a more consistent schedule. I haven’t been getting the optimum recovery time either.