A rule for success
Over 1.8 million professionals use CFI to learn accounting, financial analysis, modeling and more. Start with a free account to explore 20+ always-free courses and hundreds of finance templates and cheat sheets.
Bill Gates, Barack Obama, Jack Ma, Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey – they are all successful in their respective careers, and they have one thing in common – all of them follow the 5-hour rule. This means allotting one hour per weekday for reading and learning (e.g. online courses).
Working Smart
Empact founder Michael Simmons coined the phrase, the five-hour rule, regarding reading and learning. This rule can be traced back to the life of Benjamin Franklin who spent about an hour a day on deliberate learning. He started his day early to read and write, as well as create personal goals and monitor his progress. Simmons created the five-hour rule from this practice – one hour every weekday.
This principle is an effective way toward success because working harder and for a longer period of time is not equivalent to working smarter. When you devote time to reading and learning, you veer away from your current tasks and invest in self-improvement. That’s how you work smart. You can invest in self-improvement by learning some new skills with CFI’s Excel Crash Course!
Reading for Success
You may think that after a hard day’s work, all you want to do is eat and relax in front of the TV. In this fast-paced life, working and taking care of your family already take up most of your time. While spending your free time relaxing is not necessarily a bad thing, reading regularly is a healthy habit if you want to be successful.
According to afive-year study by Thomas Corley involving over 200 self-made millionaires, 86 percent said they read for more than just fun. As if sitting down and reading a book is not enough, 63 percent said they use audiobooks during their morning commute.
Stages of the 5-Hour Rule on Reading
Many successful people who engage in deliberate learning go through three stages:
#1. Read
Most successful business leaders and personalities are voracious readers, not only to expand their knowledge but also to be aware of strategies and tactics of others. If you think devoting one hour per day for reading is too much, go for about 30 minutes instead.
Develop the habit of reading by bringing a book with you wherever you go. This way, you can flip through several pages while waiting for your turn at the bank rather than browsing through your social media accounts. If you prefer audiobooks, you can try listening to one during your morning commute.
#2. Think/Reflect
The 5-hour rule may include time for thinking and reflecting. Some may write notes in their journal, while others zone out and block off the world. This is an opportunity to assess your mistakes and accomplishments. This prepares you for achieving your goals.
In astudy from the University of Texas at Austin, researchers found that mental rest helps boost future learning.
#3. Experiment
Tech giants conduct a lot of experiments and testing to reach where they are today. Inventions were created out of experiments by great minds. Experiments enable you to apply what you’ve learned. When you experiment, you can see what works, what doesn’t, and ask for feedback from peers.
Learning does not stop inside a classroom. It is a never-ending process that will make you productive on a regular basis and help you achieve success over time. Try the 5-hour rule and make reading and learning a habit. Experiment with some of CFI’s free courses to see if online learning works for you!
Additional Resources
Corporate Finance Institute has a variety of courses and resources that can help you learn and advance your career! Check them out below:
FAQs
Bill Gates, Barack Obama, Jack Ma, Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey – they are all successful in their respective careers, and they have one thing in common – all of them follow the 5-hour rule. This means allotting one hour per weekday for reading and learning (e.g. online courses).
What is the 5 hour rule Bill Gates? ›
The 5-hour rule is about devoting one hour a day, five days a week, to learning something new. Successful people like Oprah, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and Elon Musk all allegedly follow it.
What is the 5 hour rule? ›
The 5 hour rule is almost hilariously simple. It was coined by Michael Simmons, an entrepreneur and journalist. It suggests that no matter how busy successful people are, they will spend at least an hour a day — or 5 hours a work week — learning or practicing.
What is the 5 great hours work method? ›
Essentially, it means setting aside at least 5 hours a week for deliberate learning and practice to improve skills and achieve goals. By dedicating this time to personal and professional development, we not only become more productive but also feel a sense of fulfilment and accomplishment.
What is the 5 hour concept? ›
The 5-hour rule is a concept that advocates dedicating at least five hours a week to deliberate learning and skill development. This encompasses activities such as reading, reflective thinking, experimentation, and goal-setting.
What is the big think 5-hour rule? ›
The 5-hour rule asks us to devote at least one hour a day to learning, experimenting, and reflecting. It's a trick used by the richest and most successful people in the world. Here are three easy steps to start your own 5-hour rule.
How many hours a day does Elon Musk read? ›
How many hours a day does Elon Musk read? Before Elon Musk became the owner of Tesla, he read for 10 hours a day. It helped him build confidence, empathy, decision-making, and other skills that are crucial to being a business owner.
How does 5-hour work? ›
The proprietary energy blend in 5-hour ENERGY shots doesn't just contain caffeine. It also has B- Vitamins, amino acids and essential nutrients that work together to provide a feeling of energy and alertness. 5-hour ENERGY shots are also super convenient! The signature shot size is easy to carry and even TSA safe.
How many hours does Bill Gates read? ›
Bill Gates, Barack Obama, Jack Ma, Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey – they are all successful in their respective careers, and they have one thing in common – all of them follow the 5-hour rule. This means allotting one hour per weekday for reading and learning (e.g. online courses).
What is the 5-hour rule Benjamin Franklin? ›
The five-hour rule is a process first implemented by Benjamin Franklin for constant and deliberate learning. It involves spending one hour a day or five hours a week learning, reflecting and experimenting.
If you're overworked, your cortisol levels (the primary stress hormone) increase which can lead to brain fog, high blood pressure and a host of other health problems. “It's like a car trying to run with a very limited amount of gas in the tank,” says Dr. Borland.
What is the perfect work time? ›
In the end, scientists generally agree that the ideal daily working time is around 6 hours, and more concentrated in the morning.
What is the best number of hours to work per day? ›
Ideal work hours per day and week
Those who felt like they had the least time overall worked 8.6 hours, whereas those who felt like they had the most time worked just one hour less, or 7.6 hours. So to not feel starved for time, aim for a 7.6 hour workday. That would equate to a 38-hour workweek.
What is the five hour? ›
The five-hour rule
Throughout Ben Franklin's adult life, he consistently invested roughly an hour a day in deliberate learning. I call this Franklin's five-hour rule: one hour a day on every weekday. Franklin's learning time consisted of: Waking up early to read and write.
What are the 5 R's? ›
In this post, we explain each of the 5 R's (refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle) and how putting them into practice will benefit your business.
Why is it important to use the five hours technique? ›
Setting aside a certain amount of time each day consciously learning or practicing new skills can have a positive effect on your life and career. Regardless of your line of work, using the 5-hour rule allows you to expand your knowledge base and skill set.
What is the polymath 5-hour rule? ›
I define a voracious learner as someone who follows the 5-hour rule — dedicating at least five hours per week to deliberate learning. I define a polymath as someone who becomes competent in at least three diverse domains and integrates them into a skill set that puts them in the top 1% of their field.
What is Bill Gates hourly rate? ›
Bill Gate's self-reported work schedule would give him 3640 hours per year, meaning he worked about double the hours of a "regular person". Bill Gates in 2018 dollars as of 1999 was worth about $150 billion dollars. Giving him an hourly rate of 2018-USD$1,369,863 per hour over 30 years.
