Mornings are busy and they can be quite chaotic.
If you have a young family and plenty of people to get ready and 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 shared with you how the first few hours in the morning set the tone for the entire rest of the day. Do you want that to be rushed, frantic, and feeling like you’re constantly running and trying to catch up?
Or do you want it to be calm, collected, productive, and with a feeling that you’re in control?
It’s up to you and it’s all about embracing 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 not a 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’s not nearly as hard as you think and something you’ll quickly get used to.
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. You have to rush 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 tardy at school.
Remember, your morning sets the tone for the rest of your day. If you start it chasing down things, that’s likely how you’ll spend the rest of your time.
Getting up early enough, on the other hand, 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.
Restructure Your Routine
Before we wrap this up, spend a little time thinking about your current morning routine and where you’re spending time. Look for things you can change and tweak 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, look at what you could take care ahead of time, eliminate, or delegate to make that time.
If you spend a lot of time getting breakfast for everyone, get in the habit of setting the breakfast table the night before. Learn all about clean eating so that you all stay healthy too.
Get your spouse to get the coffee ready, so all you have to do in the morning is push a button.
Teach the kids to make their own breakfast and take the dirty dishes to the sink, rinse them, and put them in the dishwasher.
Make sure clothes are set out the night before (including yours), and that book bags, purses, briefcases, and car keys have a designated spot and that there 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.
Great tips and I agree we need to plan a little for a peaceful and smooth morning routine. Get up early also had lots of advantages and we get more time for over-selves by following this simple step.
Thanks for stopping by!
A little planning goes a long way in making best use of the time. It is all about prioritising.
Very true! And a little help from family us always good too!
A peron who can learn to utilise the “golden hours” is in better control of life and things. The morning sets the tone for the rest of the day and your post comes as a good reminder to inculcate the habit of rising early. Nice post 🙂
Thanks Narinder, I am trying to be as organized as possible and this is a simple step that works
I have recently begun to wake up early and I feel it has changed my life. It is the best habit one can inculcate for a more productive and healthy life.
Yay! Glad it’s working for you too!
I agree with you completely Brindha.. I am a morning person and like to finish up most of my cooking and other chores in the morning.. getting early and prioritising definitely helps.. loved your post.
Great tips. I completely agree that planning the night before really makes the mornings easy. I have recently become a morning person and I manage to get a lot of work done. Winters are here and I love snuggling in the quilt. You have inspired me to get moving early in the day.
Ooh I wait for the weekends when I can snuggle under a quilt too! But I’ve learned to delegate and get stuff done the night before on weekdays in order to have a smooth morning…day!
So agree and strongly believe in and practising the same that “your morning sets the tone for the rest of your day.”well penned post.
Yes, it is the best way to have an organised day for sure Archana!