The 20/20/20 Formula: An Optimised Morning Routine By Robin Sharma

What do you do in the first one hour after waking up?

Author and leadership coach, Robin Sharma, argues that what you do in the first one hour of the day is extremely crucial. He writes that:

“The way you start your day powerfully
shapes how productively you live it.”

He proposes the 20/20/20 formula to help you optimise your mornings, and to help you achieve superhuman productivity!

This formula lies at the crux of Robin Sharma‘s bestselling book, “The 5am Club”. As you may have guessed, the book builds a case for why one should wake up at 5 am every morning. He argues that it is not just important to wake up early, but it’s also important to utilise the FIRST ONE HOUR OF YOUR DAY to set the tone for the rest of the day.

He divides the first hour of the day (right after waking up) into 3 parts: the first 20 minutes (Pocket 1), the next 20 minutes (Pocket 2) and the last 20 minutes (Pocket 3).

First 20 minutes: MOVE

The first 20 minutes of the day must be spent doing some rigorous exercise – and this is a key part of the 20/20/20 formula, and is non-negotiable!

Cortisol (the stress hormone) levels are highest in the morning. And guess what? Exercising helps lower cortisol levels. Working out first thing in the morning also releases BDNF- brain derived neurotropic factor- which helps you repair damaged brain cells, helps you think better, process faster and also promotes the growth of new brain cells (it basically makes you smarter!). Working out also releases dopamine and serotonin. All in all, working out first thing in the morning sets you up for a fantastic day!

* Make sure you hydrate!

Next 20 minutes: REFLECT

The next 20 minutes of your morning must be spent in solitude, reflecting on what’s important to you. Use this time to meditate, plan your day, and also spend a few minutes journaling in the morning. This process of reflecting in the morning, increases positivity and reduces reactivity. Read more about how to start journaling here.

Meditation is great for lowering cortisol levels, and for connecting with yourself.

Spending time deliberating and planning helps increase focus and discipline to get things done- thereby making sure that you have a super productive day.

Journaling again, has several benefits. Writing down your thoughts, feelings, frustrations, disappointments etc., helps boost gratitude and also release toxic emotions. This frees up creativity, vitality and also increases performance.

Last 20 minutes: GROW

This is when you ‘increase your knowledge, improve your expertise and outlearn your competition’. Read books, consume podcasts, listen to audio books or even take a new course online!

The goal here is to work on becoming more valuable to your industry and to society. When knowledge deepens, acumen increases and confidence escalates. This step also increases your own value, and therefore allows you to add more value.

This formula is not set in stone- you may customise it as per your needs. If you want to workout for more than 20 minutes, go ahead!

To learn more, purchase the book here.

-P