victory hour
Let’s jump into the next takeaway from The 5 AM Club.
Key Takeaway #2 – The 20/20/20 Formula
This learning model basically comprises of three twenty-minute pockets. The first pocket requires that you Move. The second pocket gives you the time to Reflect. And the third pocket ensures that you Grow.
Robin Sharma calls this entire 60-minute period as Victory Hour. Let’s discuss these three twenty-minute pockets in detail.
Pocket #1 from 5.00 am to 5.20 am is for exercising. Physical training first thing in the morning can be an absolute game-changer. The levels of cortisol, the hormone of fear, are highest in the morning. So, when we exercise, even if it’s just for twenty minutes, it significantly lowers our cortisol levels. When we do an intense workout and sweat, we also release BDNF — brain-derived neurotrophic factor — which supercharges our brain for the day ahead. Also, dopamine and serotonin levels increase elevating our mood, drive and happiness.
The workout can be anything that makes you sweat, whether it’s taking a spinning class, running, performing jumping jacks and burpees or engaging in a Zumba dance.
Exercising first thing in the morning stimulates the natural pharmacy of mastery within us and boosts our confidence, focus and productivity. It also helps us feel much calmer and more serene.
Pocket #2 from 5.20 am to 5.40 am is for reflecting and contemplating. This segment is about experiencing deep peace and solitude before the complexity of the day starts and your responsibilities take over. This is a period of quiet contemplation where you can be thoughtful and intentional about who you want to become and how you wish to act and behave during the day ahead. This pocket is a gift that you give to yourself in this day and age of constant distractions and incessant noise. It’s also a good time to visualize, write your plan for the ideal day ahead and do some journaling aka the Daily Diary practice.
Journaling is a great way to process any hurts, frustrations, disappointments, resentments or any other toxic emotions in your heart so that you’re able to let them go. This second pocket is also a great time to meditate for some time. It has been proven that meditation strengthens our focus, preserves our natural power, and protects our inner peace and tranquility. Overall, Pocket #2 helps you prepare for the day ahead, and gives you a good chunk of time to experience some peace and tranquility so that you’re able to respond to the daily challenges and commitments that come your way in a calm manner, instead of reacting to them.
Pocket #3 from 5.40 am to 6.00 am is for personal growth and self-education. This segment is dedicated to deepening our base of knowledge and enhancing our expertise. In this final pocket, we work on becoming more valuable, to our industry as well as to the world. If we want perennial success, then we need to constantly invest in ourselves. As Jim Rohn guides, “Success is not to be pursued, it is to be attracted by the person you become.”
During this pocket, we can read books, listen to audiobooks or podcasts, and study the lives of successful people. It’s also a good time to learn about human psychology, innovation, effective communication, leadership, productivity, economics and history. As we become more knowledgeable, we’ll also be able to elevate the quality of our service and maximize our income and our impact.
All these three pockets are beautifully summed up in the framework called ‘The 20/20/20 Formula Deconstruction’ in the book.