Geoff's Miscellany

Your morning responsibilities immediately become your own when you move out. I recommend that you make them your own in high school or earlier. A good morning routine actually starts the previous night, but more on that later. A morning routine will help you in three key ways:

1. Save you time
2. Keep you from having to make choices in the morning when you’re sleepy
3. Prepare you to hit the pavement bright eyed and bushy tailed

Here are the basic parts of a morning routine. I recommend planning your morning routine and doing a dry run and time each section to help you determine when a wise time to wake up would be.

Hygiene

Before you hit the sack, make sure that your shower is stocked with soap, your sink with toothpaste, and your toilet area with toilet paper. If you need to shave make sure that shaving equipment is available as well. Also, any fragrances which go with your routine should be ready for use. Any other more personal hygiene products for women or for issues specific to you (acne medication, prescription drugs, and so-on) should be out and ready to go.

Exercise

We all should exercise a little bit in the morning. The increased blood flow, slight adrenaline rush, and endorphin release might make the morning a bit less unbearable. If you intend a hard work out, this should obviously come prior to showering. Some people even do very serious weight training early in the morning.

Attire and accessories

Get your clothes out the night before. This means you need to be disciplined and check the weather channel. Just do it. You’ll save yourself so much time if your belt and socks are with your pants and shoes before you get any shut-eye. Searching for things in the sleepy stupor of pre-sunlight consciousness is no fun. Similarly, make sure other important accessories are set out such as your back pack with completed homework inside, wallet/purse, charged cellular phone (more on that in a minute), pocket note book, glasses, and so-on.

Sustenance

Stop eating sugary cereal and pop-tarts. I love them too, but seriously, just stop. Learn to cook and have something more nutritious for breakfast and get the ingredients organized in the refrigerator the night before. I recommend something that has protein and fat. Even oatmeal with butter and cinnamon with some fruit is better than surgar puffs brand super sweetened sugary sugar cereal. If you drink coffee, you could start it before you jump into the shower. Anyway, the point is to plan what you eat, rather than letting the convenience of junk food override your logic and reason just because you’re sleepy.

If you do not buy your lunch, then the morning (or the night before) is a good time to prepare your food. Again, preparing your own is cheaper than buying the school lunch (unless you’re on assisted lunches), and if you make your own food you’ll save time for your parents so that they can have a more relaxing morning.

Spirituality

The solitary moments of the morning are very useful for orienting your day toward God. I highly recommend engaging in spiritual reading and prayer in the morning before the day begins, asking God for opportunities to serve others and strength to avoid evil and do good is a better way to start the day than playing on the internet. Because of that, I recommended keeping your phone charging and with your accessories, so that it is not tempting you to be distracted from getting things done. In order to keep your phone from distracting you in the morning, it may be wise to buy a traditional alarm clock.

Planning

The morning, prior to the stressors which arise throughout the day, is a good time to sit down and write out what you wish to accomplish during the day. The list can include anything from chores, conversations you wish to have, meals you wish to eat, and so-on.