The 5AM Club: me-time or me-first?

The 5AM Club: me-time or me-first?

The rise of the “5AM Club” – a term popularized by Robin Sharma’s self-help book of the same name – was, at one time, hailed as a revolutionary lifestyle for success. I read it keenly a few years ago, eager to adopt more productive behaviours. Honestly? I found it to be entirely predictable and hardly radical. I may even have had a wee lie in the morning after I finished it. Its core premise is simple: wake up at 5 a.m. to gain a head start on the day, investing that early time in personal growth, fitness, and goal-setting. While the appeal of maximising productivity and “winning the morning” is undeniable, the obstinate adherence to this schedule can often mask a more troubling reality – one of selfishness, disconnection, and avoidance of shared responsibilities.

Proponents of the 5AM Club argue that the early hours offer unparalleled focus and clarity. And indeed, they do – largely because everyone else is asleep. But therein lies the problem. When individuals structure their lives around a period that is purposefully isolated, they are essentially prioritising solitude over engagement. For parents, partners, or people in caregiving roles, this presents a challenge: the time chosen for self-improvement is conveniently one where others are not able to interrupt, speak, or expect anything. This means that the burden of morning chaos – sorting the kids, preparing for the day, coordinating schedules – often falls on others, particularly partners. The early riser becomes immune to these shared tasks – they’ve already ‘ticked their boxes’ and completed their routine, which looks suspiciously like a convenient loophole.

Even more concerning is what happens after the early morning euphoria wears off. By early evening – when children need help with homework, emotional support, or simply a patient adult presence – the 5AM adherent is often too exhausted to engage meaningfully. Their energy is front-loaded into a time that benefits only themselves, and depleted by the time others need them most. This is especially true for parents, where presence in the evening can be more important than in the morning. Children don’t typically remember who packed their lunch at 5:15 a.m. – they remember who was present to listen at bedtime, help with worries, or join in a relaxed dinner.

The hidden implication here is that one’s self-development comes at the expense of others. The exhausted parent who opts out of evening routines, citing fatigue from their self-imposed 5AM discipline, is essentially saying: “I’ve already done enough – for myself.” This is not discipline. It’s self-prioritisation in disguise.

The 5AM Club also reflects a broader cultural trend: the glorification of individualism. It romanticises personal discipline in a way that often ignores interdependence. The belief that waking early automatically grants moral or productive superiority is both simplistic and exclusionary. It leaves no room for the parent who spends late hours soothing a sick child, or managing concerns effectively. Worse, it creates a hierarchy of virtue where those who wake early are seen as more committed, more serious, more worthy – even when their contributions to collective life are diminished.

The 5AM Club probably works well for individuals whose responsibilities don’t extend much beyond themselves. But for those with families or partnerships, it risks becoming an excuse – a socially acceptable mask for behavior that prioritises self-growth at the expense of shared duty. Waking up early isn’t inherently virtuous. What matters more is how one’s energy is distributed throughout the day – and who benefits from it. In my view, the 5AM Club should be reconsidered not as a golden rule for success, but as a potentially selfish model of living, incompatible with the demands of meaningful relationships and responsible parenting.