Mornings can be rough. When you burn the midnight oil like most creatives, mornings can be especially rough. It only takes one misstep to throw your entire morning routine off schedule. Then it’s all down hill from there. Those extra 5 minutes it took you to find your keys has thrown you 20 minutes behind in travel time and now you’re regretting hitting the snooze button three times. I’ve definitely been there before and honestly, I just got tired of myself. Tired of running around looking for things, tired of rushing, tired of barely making it to work in time. I realized that all these habits would manifest in my business as well. So, I took note of the really small things I do every morning. The seemingly insignificant things I could do the night before, that made a huge impact in the flow of my morning. Now I’m sharing with you the 5 simple things that provide for a soother morning routine.
TheMuse.com has 6 super amazing one minute routines to help start your day.
Pack Your Work Bag
This is like your second purse. For those traveling to work via public transportation this is where we carry our clothes and shoes (because who wants to be uncomfortable on the train in their pencil skirt and stockings) and all the supplies we need to “pull ourselves together” for the day. Packing the night before gives you time remember and find everything you need. Instead of stumbling around in the morning, tearing the room apart and growing more frustrated, just do it in advance. When it’s time to leave, just grab it and go. You can trust you have everything because you took your time and you were more alert and patient.
Pull Out Your Clothes
There is nothing more frustrating that having to figure out what you’re wearing for the day, when the odds already aren’t in your favor. Who wants to wear a barely decent outfit fresh out of having the morning from hell. When we don’t look good, we don’t feel good and when we don’t feel good, we tend not to operate as our best selves. Do yourself a favor, pull out what you want to wear for the next day from head to toe. Give yourself the time you deserve to look your absolute best at work, so you can be your about best self.
Visualize your highest self and start showing up as her…
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Set up the Coffee Machine
Yes, the seems super small. I don’t know about you but I need my coffee in the am. I’m usually up late working on TheWeekendGirl. It’s my side hustle that I’d like to make my main source of income. However, I do have a regular 9-5 and I have to get up really early. I’m talking 5am early. So I’ll say it again, I need my coffee! Whether it’s tea or coffee for you, prep it at night. Pour your water, put your beans in and all you have to do is press the button in the morning. Yes, it’s THAT serious. Thank me later!
Find Your Keys
How many times, have you lost your keys, in your own home. Struggle to find your keys the night before instead of the exact moment it’s time to walk out the door. They’re usually always in the last place you thought they’d be and never where they’re supposed to be. Once you find them, it’s a good idea to set them next to your purse and work bag so they’re in your hand as you walk out the door. If you’re anything like me, putting them in the purse makes you think you left them and now you’ve spent more time looking for them when you had them all along. Get ahead of the game, find your keys at night.
Pack Lunch
You cannot go wrong with packing a lunch. It saves you money and time. Enjoy the full extent of your break time without the hustle and bustle of figuring out where to eat. When you have less things to think about during the day, you begin to notice small pockets of time that become extremely useful to you. While you sit and eat your lunch at work, you have a few more minutes to plan for your business, takes notes, make phone calls or whatever. Packing your lunch at night is so simple, and lessens the amount of things to get done in the morning. This is an absolute win win.
It all boils down to finding ways to maximize your time for things that actually matter to you. A few more minutes here and there may not seem like a lot right away. But when you see that stress level come down, your morning routine gets much more pleasant. When you get your day started right, it shows in other areas of your life. Whether it’s your business, relationally or on your job, it definitely shows. Do yourself a favor and just try these 5 simple things for a smoother and less stressful morning routine. Let me know how it works out for you.