My morning starts about an hour and a half before the rest of the world, so I need mornings to be as mechanical and mistake proof as possible. Here are a few ways I keep my morning from getting ruined.

You’ve Lost Your Keys

One way to combat this is to keep them in the same place all the time. Whether it’s in a dish by the door, on a hook in the kitchen or in your bag, when you come home, put your keys in the same spot every day when you come home and before you go to bed at night, take a sweep through every room and make sure that the doors are locked, the lights are off, the coffee maker is set for brewing in the morning and your keys are where they’re supposed to be. It’s also a good idea to have a spare set in your bag just in case your regular set isn’t where they’re supposed to be, you can still get out on time.

You Forgot Your Phone

That moment when you’re digging through your bag and your heart is struck with panic, dread and anger as you realize your phone is still on the counter. Ugh! Is there anything worse? We rely so heavily on our phones, so it’s a giant pain when we forget them at home. Here’s what you can do. Many tasks we do with our phones can be easily handled with a desktop computer like email or social media, but if you’re waiting for an important phone call, just record a new greeting explaining that they need to call you at your desk number. Everyone has left their phone at home at one time or another, so they’re going to understand.

Where Are My Shoes

I have a habit of not putting things away after I use them. Just ask Glen. Poor guy. Shoes, everywhere. Sometimes in the morning, I’m running around with one shoe on, one shoe off ripping everything apart looking for its mate. One way to prevent this from happening is, when you’re putting your clothes away after work, figure out what you’re going to wear right then and there, so you’re doing it when it’s light out and no one is trying to sleep. Lay everything out from underpinnings to jewelry and shoes when you get home from work the day before. If something isn’t right with your outfit, there’s plenty of time to fix it and the clock isn’t ticking.

Splat!

You’re wearing that super cute blouse you love with that blazer you got on sale that matches your favorite pants and you just dumped coffee on your shirt, gooped toothpaste on your blazer or blobbed lotion on your pants. I hate when my clothes get wrecked as I’m heading out the door. So, one way to combat this is to keep an extra backup outfit on hand, get dressed last, or wear an apron as you’re having breakfast. What happens if this occurs at work? I keep a Tide to Go pen in my bag.

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