It’s been about two months since I’ve moved and had a whole new life to adjust to. Things are stable for me at the moment, but my husband, on the other hand, has a different schedule every week. It’s actually really great for him, but some weeks he’s had to leave home at 5 a.m. That’s been pretty challenging and more often than not, he dashes out of the house looking at his watch like the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. It’s forced us to both evaluate how to accommodate those horribly early mornings because I don’t want him leaving without lunch or his keys any more than he does. I’m no stranger to running late in the mornings either, and we’ve found that the more we do the night before, the more smoothly the next morning goes. Here’s what works for us:
Purchase a programmable coffee maker.
99% of adults need coffee to jump start their day. Yes, I just made that statistic up, but I’m quite sure the real number is also high. My life changed when I received a programmable coffee pot. It’s less about the couple minutes it takes to start the thing and more about not having to wait for the first cup. Add your grounds and water before bed and program it to start ten minutes before your alarm goes off. You can pour a cup as soon as you get out of bed and smell the fresh brew even before that. And if you just so happen to be in the market for a programmable coffee maker, I can’t say enough good things about my Cuisinart that doubles as an electric kettle.
Charge your razor, if applicable.
My husband uses an electric razor to shave his face, but it never fails to be out of battery when he needs it bright and early. He’s been trying really hard to remember to throw it on the charger the night before, and it’s made a real difference.
Pack your lunch.
Making your lunch the night before ensures you won’t run out of time the next morning and be forced to buy it out. I wrote about how this one act will save you both time and money and even included some lunch recipes to try.
Check the weather.
It’s getting to be that time of year when mother nature can really hamper plans. Of course things can change overnight, but use the weather forecast to plan for the next day. Maybe you need to pack a change of shoes or an umbrella. It’s better to know this the night before than the moment you open your front door and have to run back in for said shoes. The forecast might also change the time you have to leave if your commute is impacted by the weather.
Set a time to leave and stick to it.
If I left my house when I was actually “ready”, I’d never get out. I can always find something else that can be done. I need a touch more blush or my hair could look a little better if I kept messing with it. Based on where I need to get at a certain time I backtrack to figure out what time I need to leave. As I’m getting ready I’m not only thinking about what I have left to do, but I’m watching the clock. If something doesn’t get done by that magic time then it’s just not happening.
Pick out clothes and pack bags.
I’m rarely one to try on multiple articles of clothing before deciding what to wear. That’s not my time suck. My early morning, half awake time suck is standing in front of my open closet with a blank look and blank mind. I don’t know why I need mental faculties to put together an outfit, but apparently I do. I avoid the whole zoning out in the closet by setting my clothes out the night before. I also try to pull out the accessories I want to wear.
The other part to that is packing a purse or other bag. If you change purses with outfits then do that the night before. I don’t change out my purse, but I do sometimes need additional bags if I’m going to an exercise class without coming home first. Taking a look at your calendar will help you mentally prepare for the next day and physically prepare any items to bring with you.
Everything should have a designated place.
Have you ever tried to walk out the door and upon discovering something missing had to frantically run around looking for your keys or phone? I’m sure we’ve all done it, but I think it happens to some people more than others. If keys, wallets, and phones had a designated place to always go when you come home, they’ll always be in the same place when leaving. That designated place can be your bag so they’re already packed or somewhere else so long as they always get put there while at home.
Know your tendencies and set your alarm accordingly.
This is probably the one I struggle with the most. I know I hit snooze. I can’t help it. Instead of setting my alarm for the exact amount of time I need to get ready, I have to factor in an extra twenty minutes for the two times I’ll inevitably press snooze. If mornings are your one time of day to take advantage of some uninterrupted reading, then by all means factor that in and set your alarm accordingly. Don’t make yourself run behind by squeezing it in when you don’t really have the time.
What do your mornings usually look like? Do you have any helpful tips to add?
Photo courtesy of Mo Riza.
When I used to commute to an office I would try to line things up the night before, whether it was my gym clothes for mid-day workout or saving leftovers for lunch. During the winter months it was even more important to leave the house early due to road and weather conditions that usually resulted in insane traffic. I much prefer my commute from the bed to my home office in my pj’s these days 🙂
I agree- PJs are my work clothes of choice lately!
I am obsessed with being on time for meetings. I would rather get somewhere an hour early and sit in the parking lot then rush anywhere. Because of this, I always plan my getting ready time and alarms for much earlier than I need to. I always budget the time that I know I need and add 30 minute buffers as needed.
I hate rushing. I hate the nervousness that comes with running late because it takes a long time for me to come down from that even after I’ve arrived.
I hate being late for something, it throws me off all day. I also hate getting up early and rushing to leave the house. These are great tips for putting your morning on auto pilot.
Thank you!
I am so guilty of both standing in front of my closet not knowing what clothes to wear, or sitting in front of a mirror trying to make sure I look perfect (that sounds a little ridiculous; I swear I’m not that vain!). It took me a while, but I finally got a routine down, and I could get ready in less than 30 minutes if I had to. Now that I work from home I don’t have to worry about rushing!
And do you prefer that? I have to say that even though I love my comfy clothes, I’m getting a little tired of being home so much!
Awesome tips here! Thankfully, my type-A, neurotic self has only been late about a handful of times. I have mastered my morning and evening routines to a T. If there’s one thing I’m extremely good at it’s planning and time management. Everything has a place; I pack my lunch; and I pick out my clothes the evening before – just to name a few things on your list I already do. Additionally, I make sure to do as much as I can the night before, so the mornings are fast.
That level of organization sure comes in handy, doesn’t it?
Great tips!!!
Each weekend, I pack as much of my lunches for the week as I can. I make a big salad and put it in separate containers, one for each day. Then, I pack leftovers each night and lunch is done for the next day.
I also pick out my clothes for the week and have my bag packed the night before.
It helps so much in the morning!
You sound one step ahead of me by picking out clothes for the week! That’s great!
I’ve been leaving later and later for work, but I’ve also been doing less and less before getting out the door. I think I need to take your advice and pick a specific time to be “out the door by” and hold myself accountable to it.
On the one hand I’d say it’s great that you’re condensing your routine, but I think I know what you mean. It sounds like you’re not fitting in everything you want to before you leave. I could allow myself more sleep if I’d find ways to get ready quicker.
Great tips!! I’ve always been pretty good at getting where I need to be on time or early (even with a toddler and a baby in tow!). I do the “set the time to leave” method. If I’m leaving at 6:30, I’m leaving at 6:30. Whatever’s not done will just have to wait! My husband is also usually on time…but he wakes up about 1 1/2 hours before he needs to leave (even if he’s leaving at 6am!). Though this sometimes drives me mad, it works for him! He likes knowing he’s never rushed in the morning!
I’ve often heard how hard it is to get out of the house with kids, so good for you! My general rule of thumb is to get up two hours before I need to leave. I’m just not a morning person! I may be out of bed, but it takes me a while to wake up. Sometimes the two hour mark is a scary number when I’m setting my alarm, so I’ll kid myself and say I can do it in less time. That’s precisely when I run into problems!
Awesome tips. I stink at looking at the weather but in about 2 weeks, I should just asskev3 ft of snow fell overnight 😉 I have a routine and not only do I know when I should leave, I also know when I should be showered by. If I’m not in the shower by 5 am, no way will I leave on time. It’s the project manager in me!
I’ve got small kids to get to daycare. As I pump the day before, I try to put milk in the right amounts in bottles. She takes 4 oz, so if I pump 6, I make a 4 oz bottle and out the leftovers in a bag. Before I leave work, I combine those leftovers for another bottle.
Getting kids to bed on time the night before is key to an easy morning routine, too.
Ouch! Such early mornings! But you gotta do what you gotta do. I bet kids’ bedtimes are crucial for any parent’s smooth running mornings. Thanks for adding that perspective!