Yong Pratt 0:00
Is it really possible to amplify more of your awesomeness by getting up at 5am? Well, on today's episode of the podcast, I want to take you behind the scenes of what I've learned about the 5 am Club and how I'm doing with my experiment to join the club. Are you ready? Let's do this.

Yong Pratt 0:23
Have you ever felt like there was something missing in your business? Something holding you back from the success you're seeking? If so, you are not alone. For nearly 20 years, that's exactly how I felt as a business owner. It wasn't until I discovered Human Design, that it all became clear. And it turns out that I was the missing piece in my own business. Join me on this journey of discovering the real me and hear stories from other business owners building businesses around all of their awesomeness. I'm Yong Pratt, and it's time, my friend, to Amplify Your Awesome™.

Yong Pratt 1:06
Hey, Amplifiers, welcome back to another episode of The Amplify Your Awesome™ Podcast. As always, I'm your host, Yong Pratt, Awesomeness Amplifier, and the Chief Content Gold Miner here at Amplify Your Awesome™. I wanted to take you behind the scenes because I know sometimes, when we're busy building our businesses, we don't always stop to share the messy parts.

Yong Pratt 1:30
Because I've learned that you know, we want to be able to share the best parts the highlights reel, especially coming from the performing arts world. And I was a professional dancer for years and owner performing arts school. So all of the practice, all of the messy, happened off of the stage and in the classroom. And then that, that search for perfection, and the execution of that happened on the stage. So I've had to really sort of step backwards and take some time to remember that sharing this process, this journey that I'm on building this business, especially in the online space.

Yong Pratt 2:11
I need to share more of this with you because I think that so many more people can relate to, to hearing about and learning about other people's messy middles. Am I right?

Yong Pratt 2:23
So today, I just wanted to take you behind the scenes on the 5 AM Club. Have you heard about the 5 AM Club? Well, last week, when I was transitioning into this new workspace, I was listening to a book called The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma. Now I had, I've heard many times in my lifetime, especially as an entrepreneur, you know, the whole thing about getting up early and going to bed early early bird catches the worm. All those euphemisms, right. About getting up early, and being a morning person.

Yong Pratt 2:58
And for most of my life, I have considered myself a night owl, where staying up late getting stuff done is a little easier for me. as I've gotten older, my kids have gotten older, I kind of fall in somewhere in the middle where I'm not getting up super early, but I'm not going to bed super late either. So I'm kind of a middle of the day - middle of the pack, kind of in a rut, right. So I wanted to learn more about the 5 AM Club. And if you haven't read the book, or listened to the audio, I really liked the audio. I love listening to nonfiction books on Audible, because it allows me to do other things. Not that I'm multitasking. But I can background task like painting. The office didn't require a lot of mental focus.

Yong Pratt 3:43
So listening to this book, really made the job much more enjoyable for me. So that's what I did. I listened to the 5 AM Club. And it's an interesting sort of fiction story told in sort of a parable fashion. It's really quite kind of interesting about about this guru, who kind of guides other people to learning about the 5 AM Club, joining the 5am Club. And really getting past the appearances can be deceiving, sort of. So when you read the book, you can feel appreciate why because that one of the main characters, you know, he shows up at this conference, and he looks like a bum. The people who are attending the conference, the entrepreneur, the artist, are the two other main characters in the book. They mistake him for somebody who doesn't belong because he doesn't look the part. They come to find out that he's a wealthy billionaire. And that really kind of leads more to the story. But it's an interesting story because I was expecting it to be very tactical, meaning a traditional nonfiction book. I didn't realize that it was actually sort of this parable and I really like hearing practical things like this in story format, because for me, it just hits home. It resonates a little bit more. So I really appreciated that

Yong Pratt 5:00
The 5 AM Club is all about rising before dawn. And having that one hour from 5am to 6am. And in Sanskrit, I'm not sure of the word, but it really translates to the Creator's Hour, which I can totally resonate with. Being a continual creator, I love creating all sorts of things. The idea of being in the Creator's Hour is very intriguing.

Yong Pratt 5:27
So I actually started the book, I guess, last weekend. And, you know, I was going to try it the next morning, and I was excited to get up at 5 am. And it was kind of like a kid on Christmas, right? You're so excited about what's coming in the next day, or kind of like, what those times when you have a flight, and it's early in the morning, and you're a little bit afraid that you're not going to get up in time to make your flight right. So you just don't sleep well. You're not well rested or kind of antsy kind of restless. That's what it was the night before. And literally like the next morning, I had decided to do this. I think I woke up that before 4:30 and kind of thought, "How on earth did I wake up so early?" But I was excited to get started. So I did something, well I fell back into a bad habit that morning. I got up. I was excited to do it. And then I was like, "Oh, you know why it's so early. I think I'm just going to push snooze and go back to bed for a bit."

Yong Pratt 6:21
So I did that. And unfortunately, that pattern has continued. I've set my alarm for five. And I've not yet made it up at five. So I intentionally started this new experiment on Monday. So today's Wednesday. This is day number three officially, in a row, of doing this. Because one of the tenants in the book is that it takes 66 days to create a habit. And in the book he talks about you don't have to do this on the weekends, if you don't want to. You can allow yourself some extra time for rest and rejuvenation, that's fine. But it does take 66 days of continual effort to create a new habit. And he insists that creating one new habit at a time is plenty. So getting up at five, the act of getting up and that creating that habit, then you can create other ones from there. So in the book, he talks about getting up at five, because it's the Creators Hour. It's a time when we can really work on ourselves before we get into the fray of the day. So if you're a mom, if you're a business owner, it's sometimes easy just to turn to our devices, check our emails, go to social media get those hits of those of dopamine, and all of the other neurotransmitters that are that are getting us excited, yet are short lived. So his whole philosophy is by getting up this time without having any other distractions, you have a full hour where you devote on you, building a better you.

Yong Pratt 7:55
And in many books and over the years, I've heard this as well. That the first hour is the rudder of the day, it sets the tone for the rest of the day. And while I bought into it a little bit, I can't really honestly say that I was actively doing anything to make that happen. It just wasn't the right time, right?

Yong Pratt 8:16
We all are on our paths, and then unfold in exactly the way they're meant to unfold. So even though sometimes you hear things in one area of your life or at one point in your life, they may not resonate until years later when you're ready to actually receive that information. So I feel like I'm finally ready to receive this information of the 5am Club.

Yong Pratt 8:38
Even though I haven't honestly gotten up at five on any of these mornings, it's always been a little bit after around six-ish, usually, because that's my normal rhythm. However, here's what he says in the book. So this first hour, he calls it the 20-20-20 formula. There are three things you're going to do first thing in the morning.

Yong Pratt 9:02
The first 20 minutes after getting up you're going to spend in intense exercise.

Yong Pratt 9:08
The second is in reflection. So whether that means for you meditating, or writing in a journal, or just thinking about the things you're grateful for really thinking about the things you want to create. It's just this reflective time where you can kind of dive in a little deeper into yourself.

Yong Pratt 9:30
And then the third 20 minutes you spent in learning. So that could look like an ebook. It could look like a physical book, it could look like a course or a podcast. We're always wanting to learn.

Yong Pratt 9:44
And so I have to say over these past three days in particular, reading this formula, the 20-20-20 formula, even though it hasn't been five o'clock in the morning has been really eye opening. Usually in the mornings, I'm kind of a slow starter, meaning I like to get up, take some time for myself usually read, have a cup of coffee or two, and then I'm ready to take on the day. So this idea of intense physical activity first thing in the morning has definitely thrown me for a loop, yet in a really good way, because what I have discovered is, in that first 20 minutes, after moving my body, getting everything flowing, getting my heart rate up, getting my breathing up, it really opens up a lot of new space to be creative.

Yong Pratt 10:34
And then I can sit and stretch and think, and I actually have been journaling, I've wanted kind of my whole life to be a journaler. But I just never could stick to the habit because it just didn't feel right. And mostly because I was just trying to open my journal and write in it, right with no direction. And I just felt like, it never resonated with me. However, over these past three days, in particular, and I did it a couple times over the weekend, leading into the week as well, the idea of getting my thoughts down on paper has really started to hit home. And I know, it's only been a couple days. And I know he says the first, you know, 22 days of the 66 day cycle, it's kind of the honeymoon period where you're excited to do it, and things might feel a little easier. And then in the second 23 days, things are gonna feel harder. We're going to have to test our mental capacity, our mental reserves to really push ourselves to do that, because in the middle, it's the messy middle, right.

Yong Pratt 11:33
And that's exactly why I'm sharing this process with you. Because it is the messy middle, I've not quite gotten up at five, I've not quite done all the things as he's laid out. But just going through this 20-20-20 formula has really changed the way that I view my mornings now.

Yong Pratt 11:52
We got a new treadmill pretty recently. And we have a subscription to iRit, which allows us to go on all of these excursions across the world with different trainers. And so this week, I've actually been in Costa Rica, which has been a really fun place to go see. It looks really beautiful. Today, I got to walk in the rain forests or I guess, more correctly the cloud forest because it's the clouds that create all the moisture for the greenery in Costa Rica. So anyway, that's just an aside saying that we caught this treadmill because I really wanted to be able to get up and move even when the weather was yucky outside. Because I would I have to admit that I am pretty much a fair-weather walker. Meaning I don't like to walk when it's really, really cold outside. And I have to bundle up because you know, of course 15 minutes in, I'm regretting putting on so many layers like like getting warm. And I don't like to walk when it's really super hot either kind of like to walk when it's in the middle. So the treadmill was a way for us to be able to as a family, continue moving. Really being able to travel to these locations when we're not permitted to really travel or, you know, we don't really want to have to go through the extra hassle of the quarantine that all the things that are required to travel anywhere right now. This is kind of the next best thing because it's kind of like the Travel Channel and a personal trainer kind of all in one. And like National Geographic, right? We're going to all these different places, learning about these foreign countries than even local destinations, and being able to see them from the comfort of our own home. And I don't know about you, but I'm, you know, I'm kind of diggin the being at home thing.

Yong Pratt 13:39
Not a lot has changed for me in that respect since we've embarked on this, this COVID quarantine craziness. I worked at home before and did a lot of things at home. I didn't have to leave my house a lot. But I've come to appreciate being here in this space. So being able to create new spaces to have this new office, and now a dedicated home gym. That allows me now to get up in the first 20 minutes and actually start to move and enjoy it. Because I get to see new places I get to learn new things. I get to experience things I wouldn't get to experience especially during this quarantine. craziness, right? It's just nice to be able to get that so that's the first 20 minutes. So being able to literally put on my clothes, walk downstairs, go into the home gym, get my workout done spending 20 plus minutes usually around 30 getting my heart rate up. In the book Robin talks about the first 20 minutes, the physical activity, he talks about really getting your sweat on. Really getting into some peak physical state, really being able to push ourselves first thing in the morning, do hard things in the morning.

Yong Pratt 14:52
Then of course that's followed by the 20 minutes of reflection. And this morning, you know I grabbed a cup of coffee. I spent some time Stretching. After my walk, I journaled about the things I wanted to get done, you know. So it's kind of for me right now, the journaling is sort of to do list, but not really. Kind of just reminders of things to do things I want to create things I'm thinking about things I'm grateful for. So there's no particular formula that I'm using. But just the act of doing this has been really insightful. For me, it's, it feels like it's opening up something and tapping into a part of me that I've not tapped into before. And of course, we're on day three. So you know, it's gonna feel a little bit easier. But in these three days, so far, that's kind of what I've experienced. And I think for me, the biggest part about journaling is my handwriting is quite terrible. You know, when I was younger, I used to get A's in handwriting back when they used to grade such things right when I was in elementary school. I'm kind of dating myself. But we used to get a letter grade for how great our penmanship was. And I used to have really great penmanship. I would take a long time. What I've discovered over the years is that I have so many ideas, and they're coming up so fast, my hand is not physically able to keep up with the stream of thought that I have. So I'm writing faster and faster and faster. And then when I go back, I'm not actually able to read it and kind of you know, this morning, it looks a bit like chicken scratch. It's it's really small, handwritten sections. Yeah, it's been, it's really challenging me to go back for that, you know. My hand is cramping up because I have so much to say, and I want to get it all out. And I'm trying to do it off my digital device or my computer so that I can really take in this process, internalize this process. Make it a habit, right.

Yong Pratt 16:47
It's just been challenging for me. I don't know if your journalers out there. If your journalers let me know how that works for you. Do you take your time to journal? Do your journals look so beautiful on the inside? Were you able to go back and read them again? Because at this point, I feel like nobody wouldn't be able to decipher them. Right. Robin Sharma talks about leaving these journals as a legacy for your kids that I keep thinking, well, no one's going to be able to enjoy them because no one can read them. Right. So journaling, well, it has opened up some in tap into some reserves that I feel like I haven't tapped into for a while, I am struggling a bit with the actual handwriting. So if any of you are out there, and you know about handwriting and about how to make that better, please come back over comment below this video inside the Arena. If you're listening in on the podcast, come on over and share your best ideas with me. I would greatly appreciate that.

Yong Pratt 17:44
And then the third part, the learning part of the 20-20-20 formula is learning. And I have been taking part in a new learning experience. So I have a couple of coaches and I have two memberships that I use. And then I tap into different coaches. And one of them is something called the Visibility Lounge. The Visibility Lounge is the the learning things that I've been diving into. To really learn about color psychology. Learn about being visible, you know. How to create assets that I've been thinking about creating for a long time, like a press page. And you know, doing specific brand photographs in my new colors. So I've been learning from Michelle Lewis, who will be a guest on the podcast. She actually will be on the episode before this one, right.

Yong Pratt 18:36
So what I'm planning on doing on these Wednesday, What's Working is either to share a tip with you. But I really want to make sure I come here and bring you lots of value, so that I can also share it on the podcast. And if you're part of the Arena of Awesome, which is my free Facebook community. Again, I would invite you to come and join us while we're accepting new members into the arena.

Yong Pratt 19:01
I want you to be here because you can actually take advantage of getting more time with me every week. At least once a week and coming here and enjoying podcast episodes before they actually air on the podcast. Right. So one of the benefits of being in the Arena is being able to do that. And also in the aArena, I've been sharing the journey on color psychology. Asking for your opinions on which colors you prefer. It's been a really fun adventure into learning about why I choose certain colors, why a brand wants certain colors. And if you're curious to know more about this, I would love to share this with you.

Yong Pratt 19:43
So if you want to go to www.Yong pratt.com/visibility you can join me inside the Visibility Lounge and learn from Michelle Lewis. What I love about Michelle is that he's using the best of Hollywood techniques and is integrating them into this entrepreneurial journey. And I haven't seen anyone do it quite like this. I've seen lots of people talk about visibility, because I was a professional dancer for years and then ran a school for 17, the idea of using these stage techniques, I was not in Hollywood, however, I've been on stages across the globe, I can really resonate at kind of a deeper level. So that really hit home with me when she shared her Hollywood journey. And on the podcast, she shares about her journey and what it was like and how she overcame, sort of the stigma of being in Hollywood and everything that goes along with that on the episode. But if you're curious to find out more, you want to go on this journey with me, I would love you to join me inside the lounge, www.YongPratt.com/visibility. And on today's show notes, I'll be sure to put that link in there as well, so that you can join me, you can check it out, feel free to message me, ask me questions inside the arena about the lounge because in the few weeks that I've been in the Lounge. I've learned so much, and it's really hitting home with me. And she has these great workbooks that are fillable, where you can print out if you want to write on them to go over all sorts of things, not just color psychology, but doing brand photos, creating a brand that's consistent across all of your social media, doing things like picking a visibility vehicle, whether that is a podcast, whether that's a blog, of video, show a book, whatever it is, she dives into all these things, and she really talks about the systems, you know, I use different systems. And she does, and she has her reason for using hers. I have my reason for using mine.

Yong Pratt 21:47
So it's been interesting to dive into this new membership in kind of a different way with a different mindset of really being intentional. Because I have to share with you honestly that before you know I chose brand colors that I loved. And now understanding the reasons why I've chosen these colors. And it's been intentional. And I can I can tell somebody why I chose certain colors because they resonate with different emotions and different end goals, different futures, right. That's really why I chose these colors. It's been really a fascinating journey. And if you would like to join me, I would love to see you there. And you know, that's what I've been learning in this 20-20-20, the final third of the 20-20-20 formula. Learning, learning has always been really, really important to me, I love to learn. I love to be able to take what I've, what I'm learning and share it with all of you. Because here inside of the Arena of Awesome, it is about preparing ourselves to stand center stage. Stand in the center of the Arena. Stand there confidently. Share our voices. Connect with people. Make an impact. And then when we dive into things like your content, it's about making more income with the content you already have. Right. And I've alluded to over the past couple of weeks, that I have something coming up for you on st Patty's Day, and it has everything to do with the gold at the end of the rainbow. We're really going to talk about and dive into Your Content Goldmine, what it is, how you can tap into it, and how you can scale that with your team.

Yong Pratt 23:34
So my friends, there you have it, the 5am Club, what it is, and how I'm using it in my life in my business. I'm just at the beginning of my journey. If you want to do the 5am Club with me where you have some feedback or questions about what it may look like for you. Or if you want to go on this journey and be accountable with me, that would be awesome. I may start using this group more, to be accountable, to let you know what the time is what I'm doing to make sure that I'm doing what I said I was going to do because at the end of the day, being accountable to ourselves is just as important as being accountable to those that we serve. Or those in our family that we love that we take care of.

Yong Pratt 24:25
If we're not accountable to ourselves, and we keep letting ourselves down, that has a trickle-down effect to the rest of our lives, making us feel like we just don't do what we're going to say we're going to do. So this is my test. This is my current experiment. I would love for you to join me on this experiment. Come on over to the arena of awesome, let's continue this conversation into the 5am Club. If you have questions if you want to join me, come on over. Let's get better together. Getting up at 5am or close to 5am and really you amplifying everything that because awesome in that first hour of the day so we can set ourselves up for tremendous success throughout the entire day. Okay, my friends. Thank you for joining me on this adventure diving into the 5am Club and the behind the scenes of my personal struggles with this experiment. I look forward to catching you on the next episode. Cheers.

Yong Pratt 25:24
Thanks for tuning in, do the Amplify Your Awesome™ podcast. Let's continue this conversation inside my Facebook community, the arena of awesome while it's still free and open to new members, come share your biggest takeaways and Aha. Plus, every week inside the arena, you'll get access to me and I may even share content I don't share anywhere else. Until next time, my friend, go out there today and Amplify Your Awesome™!