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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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5 Gears summary
How to Be Present and Productive When There's Never Enough Time
20 mins
Brief summary
"5 Gears" by Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cockram is a guidebook for improving interactions with others by understanding and leveraging five different "gears" or modes of communication. It helps readers to communicate more effectively and build stronger relationships in both personal and professional life.
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5 Gears
Summary of 8 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 8
To avoid being disconnected from others, you need to use the right gear for each situation.
Have you ever been sat on a beautiful beach only to realize that your mind is still at the office? Well, you’re not alone. Many people find themselves not fully present but instead disconnected from the situations they’re in. Why?
Just look at the experience of one of the authors, Jeremie Kubicek, who was working so hard that he was habitually late for dinner, his head still in his office paperwork, until his wife became so exasperated that it put a strain on their marriage. How did he get to that point?
The disconnect stems from moving at different speeds to those around you. Imagine driving your car around the suburbs but traveling at freeway speeds; you’re bound to cause trouble and probably run somebody over. It’d be the same driving slowly down the freeway; you’re going to get in the way of other cars.
Now imagine that the freeway is your office, and the suburbs are your home; if you don’t match your speed to your environment, then you’re going to hurt those around you.
In short, Kubicek was driving too fast for his home!
This led him and Steve Cockram to develop the concept of 5 Gears. In cars with manual transmission, you have multiple gears; you start in first and shift up to reach faster speeds, each gear being more appropriate to certain speeds than others. If you apply this idea to yourself and learn and understand your different gears, you can match your speed to your space.
First gear is for individual recharge; second gear is for connecting deeply with friends or family; third gear is for casual socializing; fourth gear is for working and getting multiple tasks done; fifth gear is fully focusing on a single project.
As in a car, each of these gears has a good and bad application, and smooth transitions are required to reach the different speeds properly.
Over these blinks, we will look into and understand the pros and cons of each gear, as well as when to use them – or not. Let’s start with fifth gear.
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What is 5 Gears about?
5 Gears (2015) focuses on adapting your attitude to your environment, whether that’s a physical space or just the time of day, in order to stabilize your work/life balance and get the most out of your relationships both at work and at home. While most techniques aim to fix this through time management, by understanding the principle and application of each gear, you’ll find it easier to apply yourself to each part of your day and get the best from every moment.
5 Gears Review
5 Gears (2015) is an impactful book that explores how to shift into the right gear in any situation and improve our relationships and productivity. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- With its practical strategies for mastering different gears, it offers valuable tools to enhance communication and collaboration.
- The book draws on real-life stories and examples, making it relatable and insightful for readers looking to navigate their personal and professional lives more successfully.
- By emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and adaptability, it provides readers with the keys to unlocking their own potential and becoming more effective in their interactions.
Best quote from 5 Gears
We drive 50 miles an hour in a 20 mile-an-hour speed zone without being aware.
—Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cockram
Who should read 5 Gears?
- Office workers who find they can’t switch off
- Stay-at-home parents who don’t seem to stop working
- Those who aren’t reaching their full potential in different relationships
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5 Gears FAQs
What is the main message of 5 Gears?
The main message of 5 Gears is achieving better communication and connection by mastering the art of shifting gears.
How long does it take to read 5 Gears?
The reading time for 5 Gears depends on the reader, but it typically takes a few hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is 5 Gears a good book? Is it worth reading?
5 Gears is worth reading for anyone looking to enhance their communication skills. It provides practical strategies and insights for better teamwork and relationships.
Who is the author of 5 Gears?
The authors of 5 Gears are Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cockram.
What to read after 5 Gears?
If you're wondering what to read next after 5 Gears, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Win at Work and Succeed at Life by Michael Hyatt and Megan Hyatt Miller
- Do the New You by Steven Furtick
- The Wealth Money Can't Buy by Robin Sharma
- Beyond the Pleasure Principle by Sigmund Freud
- Rest by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
- The Work-Life Balance Myth by David J. McNeff
- Maps of Meaning by Jordan B. Peterson
- Stop Checking Your Likes by Susie Moore
- A Handbook for New Stoics by Massimo Pigliucci and Gregory Lopez
- Get Off Your "But" by Sean Stephenson