Peace at last: Embracing a new path to fulfillment
Change is good.
After 85 eventful days, my 5 a.m. club streak died on the living room couch last Wednesday.
I couldn’t fall asleep until 2:30 a.m. Dozing off between 6-8 p.m. last Tuesday night scrambled my body clock. An unintentional nap sabotaged the rigid routine I had spent the past three months carefully crafting.
With my eyeballs burning and my lower back killing me from daily exercise, I had a choice: roll off the couch, where I landed in the wee hours, and get to the 20-20-20 formula at 5 a.m. Or rest.
I chose rest.
It’s not how I saw my streak coming to an end. I surpassed the 66-day mandate for admission into the 5 a.m. club, but my goal grew. I wanted to last for 90 consecutive days. So in that regard, I fell short.
But I’m learning how to live in the gain and not in the gap.
The gap is when we see only the distance between what we have achieved and our goal. The gain is when we measure our progress from our starting point.
The concept comes from a book on my reading list, “The Gap and The Gain: The High Achievers’ Guide to Happiness, Confidence and Success.”
It was difficult initially, but I had to forget about the final five days and focus instead on my 85 life-altering mornings. So what if I had a bad night’s sleep? Would it really have mattered if I made it to some arbitrary consecutive days goal?
Am I supposed to feel less of myself for making it 87 out of 90 days?
Live in the gain, not in the gap.
I’ve developed a wonderful new discipline over the past three months. Everything from my sleep schedule to my exercise and diet to how I organize my days improved simply by committing to the 5 a.m. club.
I learned to put my needs first and prioritize my health in a way I had never truly thought about doing. As a result, my peace is at an all-time high.
When I reflect on the past 90 days in that light, only one question comes to mind: why would I stop?
Waking up at 5 a.m. has moved me closer to personal mastery. It’s brought order that mirrors military time, while helping me to better control mine.
It’s become more difficult — and detrimental — for me to not wake up at 5 a.m. than to dutifully roll out of bed at that time and begin my day with my exercise routine.
So that’s why I’m sticking with the 5 a.m. club. It’s become a lifestyle.
Not only that, but the discipline of starting my day before daybreak has spread into other areas of my life. Committing to and mastering one healthy habit has unlocked space to incorporate others, just as “The 5 AM Club” instructed.
I don’t have a new number for consecutive days in mind. And I’ve learned the value of not running from rest. I’d be lucky to assemble another 30-day streak.
But I won’t be a stranger to the 5 a.m. club. It offers far too many benefits to say goodbye.
How to go from good to great
My friend Jabari Young, who is an outstanding journalist at Forbes, has developed a signature tagline at the end of his interviews.
Live in the “gain,” not the “gap.”
What a concept!
What a clever way to remind us how the journey toward our goals is just as meaningful as the destination itself.
It's good you chose rest and to think forward about this. Are the circumstances that led to the disruption in your control moving forward? Is it something you can plan or prepare for in advance?