• For me, the alarm clock rings at the same time every morning. Since then, not only I have gotten things done faster – I am also much happier.

I’ve been a member of the “5 am” club for a good year and a half. That sounds exclusive – but actually it’s not that hard to get in there. You just have to get up very early.

I got up at 5 am today. Just like any normal working day. When I tell people that, the reaction is usually, “Oh God, that’s early! Are you insane?” Honestly, that was my first thought too when I saw this video:

In it, Canadian leadership expert Robin Sharma promotes the “Five A.M.” club. Somehow this grabbed me and I thought: I’ll just try it out. You’re supposed to get up early for 90 days, and then your body will get used to it. If one does not get along with it after this test phase, one is to leave it again according to Robin Sharma. But I have stuck with it.

There are many good reasons for that:

1. You’ll Have Time For Things That Always Fall By The Wayside.

My alarm clock doesn’t have a snooze button, so I get up right away and take a shower – I need that to wake up and recharge my batteries. Then I take 30 to 45 minutes for myself. I meditate, read, or get intensively involved with a task that’s coming up that day.

2. You’ll Have The World To Yourself

Sometimes I go for a walk right after I get up. I live in the center of Istanbul. The feeling when there is no out but you is crazy.

3. Nobody Bothers You

Around 6 a.m., I boot up my computer in the home office and start working through emails, prioritizing and tackling the most important tasks. During this time, I can work in a highly concentrated manner because no one is interrupting. The cell phone doesn’t ring, no new e-mails come in, no employee asks for advice.

4. You’ll Have Three-Hour Head Start On Everyone Who Doesn’t Hit The Office Until 9 am

I then go into our office between 9 and 10. Most of my coworkers start around 9:30, which fits quite well. Meetings, discussions and away appointments take place during this time – and I have the good feeling that I have already achieved a lot beforehand.

5. You Can Call It A Day Early

I usually leave the office between 3 and 4 pm. Sometimes people ask me, “How can you work so little and still be successful?” People forget that, after all, I started at 6 a.m. and get a lot more done in those morning hours than I do in a normal workday. I often go to the gym in the afternoon and networking events in the evening.

Can’t get up early no matter what you do? This alarm clock helped many people to join 5 am club.

And What’s The Argument Against Getting Up Early?

It’s obvious: To get enough sleep, you have to go to bed early. But I don’t mind that; I’ve always been more of a morning person and liked to go to bed early.

I need at least seven hours of sleep, which is why I leave most networking events around 8 pm. By 10 p.m. at the latest, it’s lights out for me. When some top CEOs tell me that they never sleep more than four or five hours, I always think: You can’t keep that up in the long run. And anyway, what’s the point of going through with it – and then sleeping through the whole weekend? I still want to do something.

Of course, people always look irritated when I say goodbye so early. But for me, it’s simply a question of planning. I’ve decided to approach my days in a structured way – and it works surprisingly well. The only exception is on weekends, when I usually sleep until 9 or 10.

Give it a try! See you in the “5 am” club.