Jump Start Your Morning

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 www.reallifecoach.com