Mornings can be quite chaotic–that might be one of the reasons you signed up for this challenge! If you have a young family and people to get ready and out the door, you know this first hand. Even if it’s just yourself, getting up and out or settling in to work at home is a big task. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way—it just takes planning and willingness to change the way things are now. You can reset the tone for your day from rushed, frantic, and feeling like you’re constantly running and trying to catch up to one that is calm, collected, and productive. Kinda feeling like you’re in control. It’s up to you and it’s all about two simple concepts.
Get Up Early Enough
It’s tempting to hit the snooze button and catch a few more minutes of sleep, isn’t it? It’s even hard to set the alarm early enough that you have plenty of time for everything you want and need to get done. I get it. If you’re like me and aren’t a natural morning person, moving up the alarm by 30 minutes to carve out a little extra time can be tough. Trust me though, after the first few mornings it gets easier and you will get used to greeting the sun!
Getting up early enough and avoiding the snooze button at all costs is the key to an unrushed morning. Here’s the problem with cutting time too short, or worse, hitting the snooze button a few times. It gets you behind from the very start. I can remember hitting snooze and deciding maybe I didn’t need a shower today. Or maybe just have coffee and toast. Then the rush is on to make it out the door in time and any little problem or speed bump along the way turns into a huge problem. Not being able to find the car keys is suddenly a major crisis because it could cause you to be late for work and the kids to be late for school. Remember, your morning sets the tone for the rest of your day. If you start your day chasing down time and things, that’s likely how you’ll spend the rest of your day.
Getting up earlier puts you ahead of the game. You’re in control. You can take care of everything that needs doing in a calm manner and still have time for the important things you want to work on. In short, getting up early enough sets you up for an amazing, productive day.
Is Your Current Routine Working?
We are talking about saving time here to be used for a purpose. Saving time isn’t like saving money, you drop coins in a bank or look at your savings account and see money. Time isn’t like that—I have included a worksheet for you to use so that you can actually “bank” the time you have earmarked for your goal.
Right now, take a little time to think about your current morning routine and where you’re spending time. Look for things you can change or eliminate to find more time for the things you really want to do. For example, if you want an extra 20 minutes in the morning to meditate, what could you take care of ahead of time, eliminate, or delegate to make that time? One thing I noticed when I started thinking about it was that breakfast takes too long. I always fix a protein shake with fruit and veggies for myself and my partner in the morning. Processing the fresh produce took a bit of time! I started doing that the night before and putting the containers in the freezer, ready for blast-off (finding the freezer space was an adventure!). If you spend a lot of time getting breakfast for everyone, what could you get in the habit of doing the night before? Maybe get the coffee ready, so all you must do in the morning is push a button? If you have a family, look at it as a team effort. Kids can make their own breakfast and take the dirty dishes to the sink, rinse them, and put them in the dish washer. Clothes can be set out the night before (including yours). Book bags, purses, briefcases, and car keys need to have a designated spot and be where they need to be before you turn in for the night.
Small changes like this to your morning routine can make a big difference. I challenge you to come up with a few small tweaks that will save you at least 30 minutes in the morning. Download the saving time worksheet.
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