Most frantic mornings are built in the evening. These five habits are unglamorous, quick, and effective — none of them takes more than five minutes.
One — Decide what you are wearing
Lay it out. The decision is easy at nine in the evening and expensive at seven in the morning.
Two — Clear one surface
Not the whole room. One counter, one table. Waking to a clear surface changes the first thing your eye does.
Three — Water on the nightstand
You will drink it before you think about it, and the first ten minutes will feel measurably better.
Four — Set the alarm for the real time
Snoozing is negotiating with yourself before you are awake enough to win. Choose the honest time and get up at it.
Five — Leave one thing undone
A page you want to return to, a stretch you want to finish. Ending the day mid-sentence makes beginning it much easier.
A calm morning is a well-designed evening.