Years ago, I was not a morning person. I relied heavily on my alarm clock and the snooze button. Most days I would be late for work, often wearing clothes that lacked imagination and flair, even though I had a closet full of stylish clothes. There just wasn’t time for that in my hectic dash to get up and out the door. Once I got to the office, I was grouchy until about 10 or 11. It was an office joke not to bother me until that time. But when a new office manager was hired, she was not amused with my tardiness and bad attitude. She brought it up during my review and I knew that I had to make some changes.
A friend suggested that I create a routine at night to help me to be better organized the next day. It’s been said that how you spend the first hour of your morning can set the tone for your day. I must admit that was one of the best things I had ever done. Just doing a few things the night before saved me time the next day. Having a productive morning starts the night before. And over the years I have maintained an AM/PM routine. I revise it according to the needs of my life at the time.
Some benefits of having a PM routine:
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You will save time and energy in the morning
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You won’t be rushing around to get things done
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You will be better organized and less likely to forget something the next day
My PM routine:
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I choose my outfit for the next day. I often pick out two, so that I have a choices as the weather in Chicago can be unpredictable. Also sometimes my mood changes and something I picked out the night before does not work the next morning.
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I pack my lunch
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I look over my calendar so that I am prepared for the next day’s activities
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I reorganize and pack my bag
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I journal and I write down 3 things that I am grateful for that day
With those activities done the night before I am able to spend the first thirty minutes before I get out of bed in gratitude. I listen to soft music, meditate, journal, and pray. This grounds me and prepares me for whatever the day may bring. The routine you create needs to fit into your lifestyle. There is no one-size-fits-all. The most important thing is that whatever you choose to do is easy on you and saves you time.
Conchetta Jones, a Shazzy Fitness guest blogger, is a Certified Life Coach, personalizing in personal development and confidence, and founder and CEO of "She's All That!" - a personal development and mentoring organization for girls and Owner of Confident Woman She's Alll That! - a lifestyle company for women. She loves motivating and inspiring women and girls to step out of the box that society puts them in and live life on their own terms.