If you study the lives and habits of top performers, whether in athletics, professions, entertainment, academics, or the wealthiest, you will find a striking similarity. High performers intentionally spend time on their growth and development. Often this is described as “the 5-Hour Rule,” or spending one hour a day, five days a week, on these intentional practices for learning and growth.
The 5-Hour Rule isn’t new. Ben Franklin, a noted entrepreneur, inventor, author, and statesman, consistently invested one hour a day in deliberate learning. While you might discount a practice that old, how about considering Warren Buffet, businessman and philanthropist, who wrote:
“I insist on a lot of time being spent, almost every day, to just sit and think. That is very uncommon in American business. I read and think. So, I do more reading and thinking, and make less impulse decisions than most people in business. I do it because I like this kind of life.”
I could give you a long list of examples, but I don’t think that is the key to influencing you. I believe that deep down, we all know that if we had conscious intentional time to work on ourselves, we would be healthier, happier and get better results.
In other words, I think you get the why. What you need is how.
A Rule?
I’m not personally sure that calling it a “rule” is the best choice. I mean, some of us tend to be a bit rebellious – we hear rule and think, how can I adjust, bend, or break it? If thinking of it as a rule helps you (for all the rule-followers reading), call it a rule. But if not, read on.
Calling it a rule does imply a valuable principle, which the 5-Hour Rule is. Giving it rule status gives it credibility. Calling it the 5-hour suggestion, doesn’t quite cut it.
But calling it a rule can be interpreted as specific guidelines that must be followed or you aren’t allowed to alter – which doesn’t serve us in this case. Does it have to be five hours a week? (No) Can it be more or less? (Yes) Can it be on the weekend and not just on weekdays? (Yes)
Finding the Time
We’ve covered this in part. It doesn’t have to be exactly five hours, and it doesn’t have to be weekdays. But to get the maximum value, it does need to be consistent and intentional. The more regularly applied, the more valuable it will become. And while it doesn’t have to be in one-hour blocks, it won’t be nearly as effective (and in some cases, not possible) if done in 10 minutes at a time.
Where you will find your “hour a day” will depend on your situation, but I would start with screen time. Whether the screen is in your hand or on a piece of furniture or the wall, chances are you can re-appropriate time in your day for this high value activity.
When to Do It?
Ben Franklin, of early to bed and early to rise fame, followed the regimen first thing in the morning, and this is common for many. There are many good reasons for doing this practice first thing in the morning, but it doesn’t have to be then. Your daily activities, rhythms, and personal preferences matter here.
What is important is to find time when you can be uninterrupted, are fresh, and likely (other than perhaps using music) are technology free. The 5-hour rule will likely be best unplugged.
What to Do with the Time
There are tons of suggestions here and plenty has been written about it. Here are some general categories of things you can do during your time.
- Think – about your goals, your situation, your projects, your aspirations, your day. Doing this thinking with a pad and paper will be even more powerful.
- Reflect – on past actions determining what’s working (and you can repeat) and what isn’t (and you might want to change).
- Read – one of my mentors suggests some of that reading being “pre-printing press” works.
- Study – an area of interest and need personally or professionally, or both.
- Problem solve – work on your current or future problems or challenges.
- Plan – plan for your day, week, year, project and life goals.
- Practice gratitude – time building this practice will uplift your attitude and much more.
- Pray/meditate – based on your beliefs and values.
I have not included stretching, or other exercise here – not because these are unimportant, but because they are activities that typically wouldn’t fall into this practice. If you run or exercise in silence or are using that as thinking time, that can be helpful and additive to what we are describing here but isn’t quite the same.
Which of these activities are most beneficial for you, is part of developing your own personal 5-hour rule practice. As you look at the list, notice what is common. All of these practices slow us and quiet us down. All of them will create learning, insight, improved attitude, resilience and mental fitness. And perhaps the most important of all, wisdom.
As you find your personal rhythm and approach to the 5-hour rule, you will become more centered, more effective, more productive, and yes, wiser.
It is no wonder it is a common habit and choice of those who are most effective in all areas of life.
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