Richard Whately (an English flamboyant know-all who was one of the first to point out the talent in Jane Austen) famously said: 

 “Lose an hour in the morning, and you will spend all day looking for it.” 

Now that is easy enough to say when you can count yourself amongst the morning people. But what if the morning struggle is real? What if like many of us working folks, you are expected to show up bright and early in the office ready to tackle the next challenging client meeting only to feel like you were put through an extremely violent wringer less than an hour ago?  

The thought may have crossed your mind: 

What if….?

1. If you are a hesitant snooze button person, ban yourself from using it. Placing the alarm clock on the other side of the room means you HAVE to get out of bed to turn it off. 
2. Set an alarm to remind you when your shower time is up. Some guidelines will tell you to take a cold shower, but that’s classified as ‘abuse’ in my book. 
3. President Obama was known to have several of the same suits, so he didn’t have to spend time in the morning making decisions.  A self-imposed work uniform can be a lifesaver. If that’s not an option for you, decide on tomorrow’s outfit while you brush your teeth the night before.  It saves trying on half your wardrobe at 6 am.  As for the sock-problem: Buy several identical pairs of socks, so you always have a mate at hand. 
4. Give your important possessions a home. Always put your keys, your purse, your sunglasses, and your mobile phone away in the same place. It means you can scoop them up on your way out the door without the need for a 10 minute hunt. 
5. Prepare for the day the night before: laptop in the laptop bag, gym gear ready to go in the gym bag,  and your lunch waiting for you in the fridge.
6. This is maybe one of the hardest ones, but there is no going around it: If you hope to wake up early and have a productive day, you will need enough sleep. Which means getting to bed on time to get the required 8 hours of sleep. And yes, you need to avoid electronic devices before bedtime. 
7. Always keep the petrol tank at least half-full.
8. Have your coffee at home, take it with you in a keep-cup or have your dark brew in the office instead of waiting at the take away coffee shop. 
9. There seems to be a growing awareness that there is something to be said for spending time outside. It will definitely help you wake-up. Maybe it’s an option to walk to work?  It’s a great opportunity to do some exercise too, which is one of the best ways to start your day. Get your heart rate up.
10. One way to get outside pressure to get started earlier is if you share lifts to work. You won’t want to let your fellow commuter down, or make them late. It’s good for the environment too.