Jump Start Your Morning
By Kathy Gates
I'm not a morning person. I'm lucky to know my name, much less
bounce out ready to face Denise Austin's morning workout. Not
this girl.
So I decided to stop fighting it, and start working with it.
And that means that I need to take care of some things the night
before in order to start my day off in a calm, collected way.
If you're not much of a morning person either, try these ideas,
and see if they help your morning go a little smoother too.
Think about Breakfast:
Get a jump start on your morning by setting up for breakfast the
night before. Borrow this idea from restaurants (and especially
if you have kids), set out glasses, bowls or plates, silverware,
and even the cold cereal, protein bars, fruit, anything that you
can for the first meal.
Think about Lunch:
If you're making several lunches - or even only one - create a
personalized small plastic basket in the refrigerator to sort
for the next day -- drink, yogurt, etc. Chips or cookies
(prepackaged or already divided into individual baggies) are set
up on the kitchen counter next to each person's lunchbox.
Packing it up is a snap.
Think about Dinner:
End “what's for dinner” frustrations by choosing the night
before what will be for dinner the next day. Then collect all
ingredients, place them in one spot on the kitchen cabinet or
refrigerator. If you're going out, picking up, or ordering out,
make that a Family Decision the night before. Stress-free
dining!
Think about Wardrobe:
I am the type who dresses according to how I feel when I get up.
So each night, I make sure I have two or three outfits already
put together and hanging on the front of the closet. (Tip:
Never have anything hanging in your Main Closet that needs
cleaning, needs repair, or doesn't fit). That way, I still have
a choice, but don't have to destroy my closet – and my sanity –
trying to find something to wear each day. This works for kids,
and husbands, too. Some people don't mind deciding the night
before, so you might just have one outfit ready, but if you're a
little on the kooky side like me, give yourself some breathing
room.
Think about Leaving: The house, that is.
Similar to what you have set up for lunch, also have baskets
located strategically for going out the door. (TIP: The
“basket” might be backpacks for the kids and hang on the back of
kitchen chairs.) These should hold only stuff that will leave
the house -- wallet, keys, school stuff, dry cleaning, errands
lists, cell phone, store returns, etc. Anything that is going
out the door the next morning should be in that person's basket
before they go to bed. No last minute searches for the video to
return, or writing a note to the teacher. It's all ready and
waiting for you to just pick up and go.
Now -- Think about all that EXTRA SLEEP you'll get!
Implement one step at a time. After you get this system in
place, all 5 steps should take you less than 15 minutes in the
evening – and save you loads of time in the morning.
And you'll go to sleep knowing that your morning is going to be
calm, pleasant, and organized.
Kathy Gates is a Professional Life Coach in Scottsdale Arizona.
If you're ready for something happier in your life, my “Crash
Course To Happiness” Coaching Program is an excellent start for
you. I'll coach you via email or telephone, your choice. Take
a look at http://www.reallifecoach.com