In the morning there is a lot going on and there can be quite a chaos. If you have a young family and many people are getting ready and going out the door, you know this first hand. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way, no matter how busy you think you are first thing in the day.
Earlier I told you how the first few hours in the morning set the tone for the rest of the day. Do you want this to be hasty and hectic and you want to feel like you are constantly running and trying to catch up? Or do you want it to be calm, collected, productive and with the feeling that you are in control? It’s up to you, and it’s about adopting two simple concepts.
Get up early enough
It is tempting to press the snooze button and get a few more minutes of sleep, isn’t it? It is even difficult to set the alarm so early that you have enough time for everything you want and need to do. I understand that. If you are not a morning person, it can be difficult to set the alarm 30 minutes earlier to get a little more time. But believe me, after the first few mornings, it’s not nearly as hard as you think, and you’ll get used to it quickly.
Getting up early enough and avoiding the snooze button at all costs is the key to a cheerful morning. This is the problem if the time is too short or even worse if you press the snooze button a few times. This puts you behind right from the start. You have to hurry to get out of the door in time and every little problem or speed bump on the way there becomes a huge problem. Not being able to find the car keys is suddenly a big crisis because you might be late for work and the kids might be late for school. Remember that your morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. If you start chasing time and things, you will probably spend the rest of your time like that.
If, on the other hand, you get up early enough, you will be ahead of the game. You are in control. You can take care of everything that needs to be done and still have time for the important things you want to work on. In short, getting up early enough prepares you for an amazingly productive day.
Restructure your routine
Before we finish, you should spend a little time thinking about your current morning routine and where you spend your time. Look for things you can change and adjust them to find more time for the things you really want to do. For example, if you want to meditate 20 minutes longer in the morning, think about what you could do, cut or delegate in advance to make that time.
If you spend a lot of time getting breakfast for everyone, get used to setting the breakfast table the night before. Let your spouse prepare the coffee so that you only have to press a button in the morning. Teach the children to make their own breakfast and take the dirty dishes to the sink, wash them and put them in the dishwasher. Make sure that clothes are laid out the night before (including yours) and that book bags, purses, briefcases and car keys have a designated place and that they are where they need to be before you move in for the night. Small changes like this to your morning routine can make a big difference. I urge you to make a few small changes that will save you at least 30 minutes in the morning.
Leave a Reply