“Real Leaders never negotiate their standards. They know there is always room to improve.” – Robin Sharma
What is the Victory Hour?
The Victory Hour is a concept covered in the book The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma. The point of this habit is dedicating the first 60 minutes of your day to reflecting and refueling. The Victory Hour is split into 3 (20-minute) sections: The first dedicated to Movement, the second for Reflection, and the third for Growth. Sharma stresses the importance of having an hour away from the daily noise, like technology or busy work. If you can do this, you will achieve greater success and happiness.
Pocket 1: Movement
The first pocket of The Victory Hour occurs between 5 am and 5:20 am and is focused on getting the body moving. The first 20 minutes of your day should be intense exercise, like running, cycling, or other vigorous movement. The goal of this section is to sweat. It is also important to hydrate during this period. Including intensive workouts in your morning is crucial for cleaning your cortisol and increasing dopamine, serotonin, and metabolism. Sharma mentions benefits from this first pocket include more focus and productivity, brain optimization, increased energy, and less stress. Exercise is also important for longevity, a topic covered extensively in this book.
What:
- Intense Exercise
- Sweat Hard
- Hydrate
- Breathe Deeply
Why:
- Cleanses Cortisol
- BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) flows
- Increases Dopamine, Serotonin, and metabolism
Benefits:
- More focus
- Increased productivity
- Brain optimization
- Energy levels grow
- Less Stress
- Longevity
Pocket 2: Reflection
The second pocket is between 5:20 am and 5:40 am. It is a time of reflection and solitude. You can journal, meditate, plan, and contemplate during this time. Doing this will increase your gratitude, awareness, happiness, and wisdom. After you have spent time reflecting, you will notice greater positivity, creativity, and performance. You will also notice a decrease in your reactivity. This pocket will allow you to discover more about yourself and your relationships.
What:
- Journal
- Meditate
- Plan
- Pray
- Contemplate
Why:
- Gratitude Boosted
- Awareness Soars
- Happiness LIfts
- Wisdom Develops
- Serenity Expands
Benefits:
- Greater Positivity
- Decreased Reactivity
- Higher creativity
- Stronger performance
- Richer Life
Pocket 3: Growth
The third pocket, from 5:40 am to 6 am, is all about growth. Some things you can do are review your goals, read, or study. Anything that will help you learn is something you can do during this time. If you can dedicate this time to growth, you will be able to deepen your understanding of any subject, feel more confident, better handle change, and develop the 2x3x mindset discussed in the book. Committing to growth will allow you to double your income and impact because you have tripled your investment in your personal mastery and professional capability(the 2x3x mindset).
What:
- Review Goals
- Read Books
- Listen to Podcasts
- Study online
Why:
- The 2x3x Mindset
- Knowledge Deepens
- Confidence Accelerates
- Master Change
Benefits:
- Better Income and impact
- Craft Calibrates
- Domain Dominance
- Personal Growth
- Inspiration Rises
How to Ensure Success:
For most, starting a new habit can be difficult. As Sharma describes it, “Change is hard at first, Messy in the middle, and gorgeous at the end.” Luckily, The 5 am Club is full of tricks to build new routines. What I found most useful is the habit installation model for reaching the automaticity point. This model takes 66 days and breaks them into 22-day sections. Stage 1 is deconstruction, Stage 2 is installation, and Stage 3 is integration. The goal of this model is that by the 66th day, it will be harder not to wake up at 5 am. Another great way to ensure success when installing this habit is by starting your day the night before. In this book, Sharma lays out a Pre-sleep Ritual that will prepare you for the next day.
The Pre-Sleep Ritual:
7 pm – 8 pm:
- Last Meal of the day
- All devices turned off
- Isolation from overstimulation
8 pm – 9 pm:
- Meditate
- Recreational Pursuits
- Bathe
- Spending Time with Loved Ones
- Reading
- Podcasts
9 pm – 10 pm:
- Prepare Everything for sleep
- Prepare Workout Clothes for the morning
- Practice Graditude
Summary
The Victory Hour is a three-part method to improve movement, reflection, and growth. In this time, you dedicate the first 20-minute pocket focusing on Movement like intensive exercises, the second pocket focusing on Reflection like journaling or meditation, and the last pocket focusing on growth like reading or studying. If you are not used to a routine like this, it can be quite hard to install The Victory Hour into your morning, but using the 66-day method, you will be able to completely reform your life. Of course, it will be difficult, but well worth it if you can commit to your future self.
Check Out This Book:
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Robin S. Sharma, The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.
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