Mornings are a struggle for a lot of us. It’s hard to be productive and get everything done before
you’ve had your first or second cup of coffee. If that’s you too, give these three simple tips a try for easier mornings and actually getting out of the door on time. If you ask me, that’s a productive morning.
Set Yourself Up for Success – Prepare The Night Before
The best thing you can do, particularly if you’re not a morning person is do as much as you can the night before. Pack those lunches, get the coffee maker ready so all you have to do is push a button, set the breakfast table, pack book bags and briefcases and lay out the clothes you’re going to wear.
Preparing as much as possible the night before allows you to go through your mornings on autopilot. Try it and see if things don’t go much smoother for you and your family.
Set Up A Simple Routine – For The Whole Family
The second strategy that will really help is to set up some simple routines. Make sure everyone in the family knows what they are responsible for in the morning from brushing their teeth and making their beds, to grabbing book bags and putting lunches in said bags.
If you have the time, includes some general chores in the morning like sweeping the kitchen, cleaning the bathroom counters, unloading the dishwasher etc. Anything you can fit into your morning routine is one less thing you need to take care of when you get home.
And you can fit in work tasks too. Go over your schedule and emails while you’re drinking coffee and plan your work day. That way you are ready to go as soon as you open your office door.
Stuff Will Happen – Allow For Extra Time And Stress Less
One last piece of advice. Allow for extra time in the morning. Set that alarm 10 minutes earlier than when you think you need to get up and use that time as a buffer. Things will happen. Someone can’t find their shoes, you have no idea what you did with the car keys, or the toast gets burnt. You don’t want to get stressed and start your morning in a panic. It won’t help the rest of your day. Take that stress away by allowing a little extra time each morning. And when you don’t need that time, go do something productive before heading out the door.
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