The 5-hour rule: how Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg follow Benjamin Franklin's simple way to success

One of the founders of the United States, Benjamin Franklin, went to bed early every morning to read a book. This is how the rule of hours emerged - to set aside one hour a day (which makes five hours a week) for studying or reading.

Now this rule is used by people whose names top the Forbes list like Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and others. Michael Simmons explained how it works in his article for Empact.

At the age of 10, Benjamin Franklin left formal school to become his father's apprentice. As a teenager, he showed no particular talent or ability other than a love of books. And when he died a little more than half a century later, he was considered America's most respected statesman, its most famous inventor, and a successful entrepreneur. What happened between these two points to cause such a rapid rise?

The answer to this question is based on a strategy for success in life that everyone can use. The idea behind the rule is very simple: no matter how hard you get up for work and no matter how much you want to sleep, you need to set aside some time every day to learn something new. This way you get five hours of self-development during the work week.

"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," Simmons writes.

Franklin's learning time consisted of:

• Waking up early to read and write
• Setting personal-growth goals (i.e., virtues list) and tracking the results
• Creating a club for "like-minded aspiring artisans and tradesmen who hoped to improve themselves while they improved their community"
• Turning his ideas into experiments
• Having morning and evening reflection questions

Every time Franklin took time out of his busy workday to stick to his five-hour rule and devote at least an hour to study, he seemed to accomplish less. However, in the long run, it was probably the best investment of his time he could have made.

Franklin's five-hour rule reflects the very simple idea that the smartest and most successful people are those who are learning constantly and intentionally.

W=How 5-hour rule makes

For many people, their professional day is measured by how much they get done. As a result, they speed up the day and slow down the rate of improvement. The five-hour rule changes the equation by focusing on learning first.

Focusing on learning de-automates our behavior, so we can continue to improve it rather than staying on a plateau. Every event is an opportunity to improve and get results in the long run.

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