The 5 Am Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.

Later in the morning, after the artist and entrepreneur discuss their nightmares, they meet with Mr. Riley on the beach in the predawn moonlight. Mr. Riley notices a bottle floating in the surf and appears to use his finger to physically reel in the bottle, evincing some kind of trick or other skill of magic. He takes the bottle in his hands, unscrews the top, and removes from it a piece of silk that had embroidered on it “The 3 Step Success Formula” (88), with a diagram also evident. Mr. Riley then proceeds to use this as a pathway to begin a lesson. Notably, part of the diagram is a horizontal axis, showing a binary of superficiality and granularity.

Mr. Riley describes the primary difference between these two mindsets and how each manifests in daily life. He claims that for the vast majority of people, up to 95%, they are guided by varying degrees of superficiality. They lack depth specifically in how they go about performing their daily tasks. Instead, these people are often distracted, which generally causes them to be unconcerned with the details of their tasks In life. By contrast, those who are granular are far more likely to be concerned with the details of things. They are more likely to go the extra mile in ensuring that any work they put their name on is the very best work they are capable of. Mr. Riley sees the distinction between superficial and granular as directly proportional to the amount of rigor one invests in their work. Mr. Riley is sure to point out that rigor applies to a type of mental approach and can be seen across all spectrums of professions. It is not something that only wealthy tycoons possess. Instead, it is available to anyone, no matter what they do. The entrepreneur points out that obtaining mastery in anything is no easy task. Mr. Riley agrees, and he argues that the way it is achieved is really proportional to the kind of lifestyle one adheres to. He concedes that it takes time, and this is why a strategy such as the 5 AM Club is so beneficial.

Mr. Riley discusses instances where a lack of attention to detail can prove entirely fatal. He references the Challenger explosion as an example, noting that the likely cause of the disaster was a malfunction of an O-ring, a part that cost less than a dollar. He also mentions his experience at a Formula-One pit crew where he noted the pit crew was obsessive about keeping the pit perfectly clean and would sweep and vacuum in between stops. This was because one speck of dirt could cause problems for the car, which in turn could cause tragedy on the track.

The artist and the entrepreneur appear to be developing a romantic attachment, and Mr. Riley notices this. The conversation then turns toward personal relationships. The entrepreneur asks how the mindsets thus far discussed affect intimate relationships. Riley claims that an unintended consequence of the pursuit of greatness can occur in a lack of truly deep personal relationships. He refers to this as the “dark side” of being a genius and discusses the ways various geniuses in history have struggled to maintain personal connections with others. In Riley’s view, this is often because regular people tend to misinterpret those in pursuit of genius as odd, strange, or eccentric. In any case, Riley insists that a proper balance between the individual pursuit of greatness and the fulfillment that comes from intimate relationships can be found. He argues that the key to this is awareness and understanding the need for balance in the first place.

In Riley’s estimation, it is not an either/or proposition. Riley then discusses “The Gargantuan Competitive Advantage,” which suggests that because most people in the world are ordinary, the opportunity to become ordinary means that once achieved, there is a monumental advantage waiting for that person who puts forth the energy and effort to become extraordinary. Finally, as the chapter concludes, Riley insists to his guests that they spend the rest of the day enjoying the island at their leisure and promises them an unforgettable lunch as well. He then places the embroidered fabric into his pocket and departs.

An intimate relationship begins between the entrepreneur and the artist, as they appear at the beginning of the chapter walking hand-in-hand toward their meeting with Mr. Riley, who is meditating while awaiting their arrival. Mr. Riley ends his meditation, hands his two guests a slip of paper, and begins the day’s lesson by citing Seneca, the famous Stoic: “Who will cry when you die?” (104). The question jars both the artist and entrepreneur, but Riley uses it to begin a discussion on developing appreciation for each moment life has to offer. Riley discusses the ways in which people tend to overestimate their time or, worse, take their time entirely for granted. He also mentions that the digital age makes it easier for people to completely devalue their time. After reminding his guests to value every moment, he introduces them to a new learning model: “The 4 Focuses of History-Makers.” These consist of capitalization IQ, freedom from distraction, personal mastery practice, and day stacking.

The first focus, capitalization IQ, first involves commitment and dedication to change. Mr. Riley notes that devoting time between 5:00 and 6:00 a.m., what he refers to as “The Victory Hour,” is an essential component of this first focus (109). He also points out as a fundamental principle that “[d]edication and discipline beat brilliance and giftedness every day of the week” (110). Capitalization IQ involves breaking the narratives we tell ourselves about ourselves. Riley claims, “Human beings are hardwired to act in alignment with our self-identity, always” (110). This means that if people convince themselves they are not skilled or talented and are simply ordinary, then that is what they will become. In order to become extraordinary, one must first recognize and change the narratives they built for themselves, with the assistance of others.

Riley mentions that the term for this is “self-fulfilling prophecy” (112), and in order to change the trajectory of this, one needs to recognize their own innate and latent greatness. Riley claims that all people have it, but not all people are aware and not all people ever truly make it a reality. As a summation of what the capitalization IQ is, Riley says, “The more we decrease the volume of our unhealthy narrative which, neurobiologically speaking, is a creation of our limbic system, the more we will hear this sublime call on ourselves to rise up to the blatant expression of our greatest genius” (116).

Next of the four focuses is freedom from distraction. Riley reminds his guests that distraction causes a demise in productivity. Riley contends that “[f]illing valuable hours with meaningless moves is the drug of choice for most people” (120). He then discusses the various ways people seek escape, either through activities such as purposeless online scrolling or through chemical means such as drug and alcohol use. He discusses technology as a general phenomenon, noting the benefits it brings to humanity. Specifically, he discusses his cancer battle, noting that technology helped him to overcome cancer. However, Riley sees the potentially intrusive nature of modern technology as something to be wary of. Instead, he suggests that people limit their daily device usage, which in turn helps manage their focus much better. He then discusses the concept of self-sabotage and the way this is connected with intentional distraction. He looks at neuroscience here, discussing different parts of the brain, including the limbic system, the ancient part of the brain that manages fear response. He examines ways the limbic system also creates a negativity bias, which compels people to unconsciously see negativity even when there is none. This limbic system is countered by the higher order thinking of the prefrontal cortex. He suggests that in order to transform, one should learn to differentiate between these two systems and work to immerse more in the prefrontal cortex, higher order thought. Again, Riley ties this back to the idea of waking early, arguing that it allows people to more ably access their flow zone.

The third of the focuses is personal mastery practice. Riley takes his guests out on a boat ride, where he brings them to swim with dolphins. Afterward, he lectures them on “The 4 Interior Empires”: mindset, heartset, healthset, and soulset. The task for the victory hour each day is to spend time working on these. Mindset is about making sure one is in the right frame of mind and not contradicting any of the imperatives from the first and second focuses. Heartset involves making sure one spends ample time fortifying their emotional life. Riley claims that developing a proper mindset is good, but one is incomplete without a proper heartset. The third empire is healthset, which pertains to physical health. Eating nutritious, wholesome foods as a habitual practice is an example of this, as is robust exercise daily. Finally, Riley discusses the soulset, which he likens to spiritual development. He encourages the artist and entrepreneur to think big thoughts, revel in life, and practice gratitude. This gratitude, practiced in the victory hour, helps fuel spiritual growth.

The last of the four focuses is day stacking. This involves an understanding that transformation happens over time and that one needs both patience and commitment. It encourages individuals to seek small victories through the course of a day and always look for ways to enhance something in their daily lives. As Riley discusses day stacking in more detail, the entrepreneur receives another death threat. Riley informs her that his people are taking care of it; however, this time, the entrepreneur is not quite as fearful. As the chapter concludes, Riley prepares them for a future lesson, referencing a new concept he calls “The 20/20/20 Formula.” In the meantime, he departs from his guests, advising them to meet him again the next morning at 5:00 a.m.