Many times I have suggested that its best to start with the end in mind. That is true about your morning routine too. Whether or not you are a morning person, there is usually a limited amount of time to get certain things done in the morning, and planning ahead will make that much easier!

Know What Needs to Be Done

Start by making a realistic evaluation of what you need to do each morning and how long each thing takes. Don’t guess. Even the most time savvy person can delude themselves (or just plain be wrong) about how long things take to do in the morning. My son would say it he’d be ready in 15 minutes when I knew from experience it always took him 45. Imagine my surprise when he actually got it down to 15.

I suggest writing a list of the things you do every morning and tracking the time for a week or two. Include travel time to your job or first appointment. It may be fun to guess how long you THINK things will take then see if you are right. Also guess how long you think the total will take and see how long it all really takes. The difference between these two numbers is Why people are late. Seldom do we consciously decide to be late, but things take longer than we think they will. If we learn to guestimate better and add time for the unexpected, then being on time will be more likely.

If something took much longer on a day, write down the reason. The same applies to the additional things you may not do every day, but that came up (detours, waiting for a train on the way to work, couldn’t find something, etc). How long did each of those things take? This will give you a sense not only of how long the usual things take in your morning routine, but how long you need to allow for the unexpected things. It will also help you figure out what delays you can avoid by taking care of them ahead of time.

If you don’t do the same things everyday so that your total time is different, can you move some things to other days so the total time is more even? (This will help you develop a set time to get up, which helps you sleep better and plan your morning more wisely). It will help if the time for your morning routine is a bout the same from day to day.

Create a Plan

Now that you know how long things really take to get done, create a time plan for yourself.
Start with the time you need to be at work, subtract the time it actually took to get there. Allow time for the train or detours or unexpected delay (which just may be that coffee stop you want to make)> Subtract another 5-10 minutes and that is the time you need to leave the house.

Now go backwards subtracting for all the things in your morning routine. If your usual time is much longer than the sum of each task, you are either fooling around or not waking up well. You need to decide which so you can remedy it (stop fooling around) or allow for it (give yourself the extra time). Now you know what time you need to get up. If you know you simply NEVER get up without 1-2 snoozes, set the time that much earlier.

Subtract from your wake up time the amount of sleep you are going to get (like 8 hours) and you know what time you need to be in bed ready to sleep. Allow at least 1/2 hour without electronics to unwind before sleep.

Your Morning Routine Starts the Night Before

The success of your morning routine starts the night before.

Check the weather for the next day.

We live in Chicago and it can be 60 degrees and rainy one day and 90 and sunny the next. Don’t assume tomorrow will be like today (unless you actually live somewhere that varies little from day to day).

Get Your Clothes and Accessories Ready

Clothes and Shoes

Know what you’ll wear and be sure its clean, pressed (if needed) and available- preferably laid out if possible. Be sure you know which socks, stockings and shoes you will wear and have them available.

Accessories

Lay out ties, scarves, hats, gloves and any other accessories you will need. Lay out your jewelry, including watches, and check that its clean, works and goes with what you are wearing.

Briefcase, Portfolio, Purses and Totes

Be sure you know which briefcase, portfolio, purse and/or tote you are taking and move everything you will need into it the night before. If you need notes or papers for meeting the next day, print or organize them and have them ready to go.

Prepare What You Can the Night Before

Here are some of the easiest things to take care of the night before- you know, the things that can make you carzy if something goes wrong:

Fill the coffeemaker or tea kettle and set to start automatically if it has a programming option.
Make your lunch (or lunches if you make it for others)
Shower – some people shower in the evening then simply style their hair in the morning. I don’t recommend this if you are sleeping with someone else- you know what I mean.
Lay out what you can for breakfast, or make it the night before if possible (for example, you can make oatmeal and nuke it in the morning).
If you are a slow waker, write a list for yourself of what you need to do, so you don’t have to think about it. Just follow the list.

Try Your New Plan, Change it, Make it a Habit

Make your morning routine easy on yourself. Get a clock for the bathroom, have one in the kitchen and one in your bedroom. Be sure they all have the same time. Same time on your watch too, if you wear one. I keep all mine a couple of minutes fast, just in case.

If you find you consistently have not enough time or time left over, make changes to your plan. It’s your plan. Make it work for you.