If you are inclined to try to make extra money by writing online, or otherwise doing work on a computer while online, then 5AM is the time to do it. Nobody else is awake at this ungodly hour; I am focused beyond belief, and I write faster than at any other time in the day.
Other things you could do at 5AM include a modified Matins (I don't assume you'll get many others to gather with you at 5AM unless you are a monk, but I do suggest a time of reading the scriptures and prayer), exercise (this was the time that my cross country team would do a mileage run which differed from our daily training and workouts), switch the laundry that you forgot about last night (going to do that right now), or otherwise get your hustle on.
If you've got something that's really important to you, but the structure of your day makes it tough to squeeze in, a 5AM wakeup call may be in order, but before you start waking up at 5AM, I have five little secrets that you need to know.
1. Scheduling sex becomes more important than ever
If you're waking up at 5AM, you may find that your old schedule doesn't work the way that it used to. It is my opinion that sex is more important than hustling, so get the new sex schedule figured out ASAP. In a healthy marriage, nothing trumps good quality communication and shared values, but I'm pretty sure that good sex is a close third.
2. Decide what you've given up
I don't suggest giving up exercise completely, but you might be able to scale back on either the frequency or length of your workouts.
3. Don't try to be an all star athlete and a hustler
I am not among the people who laugh at those who are 50 years old and still ridiculously devoted to competing and winning in the athletic realm. If you want to wake up at 5AM to improve the consistency and quality of your workouts, then that's a great choice for the adult athlete.
However, if you think you're going to wake up at 5AM, work for two hours, and then have enough energy for an intense 7AM workout, you might be sadly surprised.
Your results may vary, but I personally think it's tough to have a full time commitment (like a job) and two intense part time commitments (training and a side gig) going all at once. Maybe I'm a low achiever. Prove me wrong in the comments if you like.
4. Waking up at 5AM uses some of your will power
However, even the most rigorous systems creators face decisions every day, and one of the decisions you face is the decision to wake up. If you and your spouse are in this together, then you can put your alarm clock across the room and make this a little bit more of a system where you are forced awake. On the other hand, if you're flying solo at 5AM (while your spouse snoozes on), then you have to wake up to a vibrating phone, and then you have to decide. Will you wake up or not?
The decision to wake up (or even to not wake up) uses some of your limited will power, so if you're needing to say no later on, be wary that waking early makes you just a little weaker.
5. Waking up at 5AM makes you thirsty!
The first thing I do when I wake up is drink a big glass of water, but when I've woken up at 5AM, I have to drink two, and I'll spend the entire time I'm typing fantasizing about lemonade, iced tea, and cold beer. These are three beverages that I never drink in the morning, but they dance in my early morning hallucinations, like sugar plums dance in the minds of children.
I don't have a solution for the problem I've deemed morning thirst, but I think it's something you should know about before you start waking up at 5AM.