I’m great at hitting the snooze button. It took me 40 minutes to get up this morning. Yesterday I stayed in bed for almost an hour longer than I intended. I wasn’t late, but I wasn’t nearly as prepared for the day as I wanted to be.

I do well for awhile, getting up with the first alarm, being ready for the day. Then I stay up too late one night and hit snooze the next morning. Soon, that snooze button becomes a habit and is quickly followed by another. Over time, I get to my current state and can hit snooze for almost an hour.

So it’s time for a morning routine re-set. I can get up at the first alarm. I can start my day without being rushed and annoyed with traffic. I can have time for breakfast before I leave the house in the morning. I just have to make myself get up when I plan to.

Ideal Routine

My dream morning consists of waking up when I want, cooking and eating breakfast with my wife (on the patio when the weather’s nice), getting a shower, then head to work and be ultra-productive.

Even though I don’t get to wake up when I want because of my school schedule, I can achieve the rest of this description.

• Cooking doesn’t have to take a long time. Frying eggs only takes a few minutes. Muffins can cook while I do other parts of my morning routine. Throw fruit in the blender and I have a smoothie. – 3 meals, 5 minutes or less for each one.
• I can shower fast, I just don’t wake up in time. A shower in the morning wakes me up and helps me feel better for the whole day.
• Packing the night before makes me feel much less rushed in the morning. I don’t have to worry about forgetting anything and I can grab my bag and go.
• When my day starts off right I am able to get so much more completed. I feel good, can focus, and am energized. It doesn’t feel like work to sit down and knock out a few tasks first thing. That momentum builds and work seems to take care of itself.

Schedule Interrupt

This is how I re-set my mornings, with a schedule interrupt.

• Physical – I have to change my nightly routine; stay up late or go to bed early. This throws of my sleep patterns and helps me wake at a different time.
• Mental – I also have to make a solid decision to get up at the first alarm in the morning. Visualizing it helps me, seeing myself get up at the first alarm, and walking through the routine immediately following.
• Tricks – These two aren’t always enough motivation, so I have to force myself to get up. Since I use my cell phone as my alarm, I only set one alarm, instead of having a backup. I can also turn off snooze, so that I have to get up when it goes off or I will be late.

My process is simple, it just takes the desire to change and willingness to get there. This weekend I will be re-setting my morning routine. Do you need to join me?