The 5-Hour Rule

If you ever visit the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit, you will notice a picture of a young Thomas Edison from 1861. 

The picture was taken of Edison at the age of fourteen from working on the Grand Trunk Railway, selling popular newspapers, magazines, cigars, and candy to passengers traveling between his hometown of Port Huron, Mich., and Detroit. The job required Edison to board the train at 7 o’clock each morning, travel three hours to Detroit, then return late in the evening. 

The job gave Edison two things he badly wanted: reading time and money. His earnings on the train were excellent, taking in $8- to $10 a day, to which he would give his mother a portion.

Reading time occurred once he arrived in Detroit; Edison would walk to the newly opened Detroit public library and devour every single book in the library.

That’s right, every book, from technical journals, magazines, scientific papers, and newspapers on topics ranging from electricity, chemistry, engineering, mechanics, building, cement, building materials, drugs, water and gas, power, automobiles, and railroads to aeronautics, philosophy, hygiene, physics, telegraphy, mining, metallurgy, metals, music, and many others. His passion for learning came from his mother. 

Edison once said, “My mother taught me how to read good books quickly and correctly, and this opened up a great world in literature. I didn’t read a few books; I read the library. 

What Edison was doing at a young age was practicing what is now called The 5-Hour Rule. The 5-hour rule is the concept of spending at least one hour every workday consciously learning new things or practicing various activities. Doing so can help you gain new skills and knowledge, which can lead to both personal and professional development. It can also help you keep your knowledge of certain subjects current. Edison, at 14, became a professional student and remained one until the day he died. 

So how can we use the 5-hour rule in our daily life? 

1. Decide on when to read

There are no set rules or times, only that you schedule an hour per day on your calendar. Remember, this is the most important meeting of your day. 

2. Find information sources

Besides books, there are several other sources of information that you can use to learn about the subjects you're interested in. Audiobook podcasts are an efficient way to get information from a book while performing a repetitive activity, like driving, exercising, or cleaning your house.

3. Find ways to remember

When we write what we have learned, we can store the data in our brains. We need to read, review, and write to retain.  Learning isn’t remembering information, it’s about changing behaviors.

4. Expand your learning horizons. 

Work your brain calories; don’t read or consume the same stuff. Explore your interests and push yourself outside your comfort zone. 

5. Do it every day!!!

The 5-hour rule can only deliver positive results if you practice consistently over a long period. This means you need the self-discipline to resist various opportunities to spend that time differently, which may not be as helpful for your long-term development. You can improve your odds of staying committed by setting short and long-term knowledge goals.

When Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, would visit his grandparents in Texas for the summer, his grandfather would share the Edison story with him as they drove to the library. Bezos has been using the 5-hour rule like Edison for his entire life. If it’s good for Thomas and Jeff, it’s good for us.