Maybe you're not a fan of "goals' or "resolutions" but what if we just talk about "routines?" Specifically, morning routines.
What does it mean to "manage mornings?"
I'm recommitting to managing my mornings this year! Nothing is tied to the success of my mornings more than my nights. Meaning, in order to manage my mornings, I have to manage my nights. For me I first have to identify my pain points – those things that affect me most when it comes to feeling like I'm not put together or always behind. Right now those three pain points are:
- Laundry
- Dishes
- Getting dressed (aka: not wearing yoga pants every day - except for the weekends, because I'm not a savage)
Start the night before
The best way for me to be successful at these three things that are consistently so hard for me to stay on top of is to start the night before. Which looks like:
- Putting a load of laundry in the washing machine before I go to bed. Don't start it, just put the physical clothes in the washer.
- Fully loading and running the dishwasher.
- Laying out my (real) clothes for the next day.
Create the habit
In the morning I follow the same routine (even if I look like a zombie while doing it). I get dressed, I start the washer, then I unload the dishwasher. As our family gets going for the day, I'll switch the load of laundry to the dryer and always try and fold the clothes while they're still warm. So by 8:00 I feel like I've accomplished 3 things and deserve a high five.
How about you guys? Do you do anything to try and manage your mornings?
I make my to-do list the night before....it's usually moving the things I didn't get done that day to the next day (haha). After I move those tasks to the next days a couple of times...I realize they are not important.
Your washing machine looks like mine. Looks like you could launch a spacecraft if you hit the wrong button. I don't know about you, but I mostly use the same setting on every load of laundry (cold water, etc.). I took my label maker and labeled my washer 1, 2, 3 with 1 on the power on button, 2 on the pre-programmed setting, and 3 on start. Now I can blindly hit buttons and can even ask Hubby to "do the 123 on the washer for me?". I did the same with my dryer. No. Thinking. Required!
I like to pack lunches the night before. I also try to cut up 2-3 days worth of veggies and fruit for our lunches so that part is done in advance.
I am fortunate to have a husband who partners with me in the endless list of tasks required to keep a household up and running. He understands that my time is as valuable as his. We take turns with the responsibility of meal preparation, cleaning, grocery shopping, etc. For many things that need to happen in the morning (and beyond), we have a simple division of labor. It works.