5 Tips to Get to Work On Time

 

Let’s start the year off right and get you out the door on time. If you are anything like me, you take forever to get out the door. Endless outfit changes, each modeled at every angle in front of the mirror. Your hair wants to frizz when it needs to be straight. You can’t find that bra you need to wear with the outfit you chose. Does this sound familiar?

It’s a struggle to make it out the door every morning. I mostly get to work on time, but I’m always rushing and never feel together enough. When this is how I start my day, I’m usually stressing and don’t feel good about myself. Yes, a psychological thing, but still really annoying.

I chose to adjust my morning routine slightly in order to give me a few extra minutes. I want to share five tips that will help you get out the door looking fabulous and ready to take on the world.

Tip 1: Choose your outfit the night before

Like I said earlier in this post, every morning I try on several outfits trying to piece together my outfit of the day. If I’m lucky, this can take at least a 30 minutes. Do you know what I could do with an extra 30 minutes? Sleep in, stop by Starbucks before work, eat breakfast, go for a run, let’s just say there’s a lot I can do with that time. So I chose to fix this by selecting my outfit the night before. I’m talking my entire outfit, accessories and shoes included.

Even if I’m ready for bed, I always make sure I have my outfit ready to go. Be sure to check the weather for the following day, so you don’t have to start from scratch in the morning. This way once I’m done with hair and makeup (totally sounds like I’m in the movies), I can get dressed pretty quickly and leave on time.

Tip 2: Wash your hair the night before

Washing my hair and blow drying it, will take me around 30 minutes. At least for my hair to look decent. That’s at least 5 minutes in the shower and 25 minutes to blow dry. I have short hair, but I still have to separate my hair into sections and attempt to blow out my hair to the best of my ability. This time does not include if I want to curl my hair (yikes, right). I found that washing and blow drying my hair the night before helps save me a half hour.

Now, I don’t wash my hair every day, so this only helps every two to three days (depending on how good my dry shampoo is working the previous day). By doing my hair the night before, it will then only take me about 10 minutes to do a quick blow out for volume and then 15-20 minutes to flat iron or curl. So again, saving me at least 30 minutes so I can leave on time.

Tip 3: Weekly Food Prep

For this tip, it will help you save time all week. Now I know what you’re going to say “It’s so much work,” and it is, but only for a day. If you prep your food, whether it’s lunch or breakfast, on Sunday evening (or whatever evening works best for your schedule) then you can free up those mornings trying to rush together a meal. Now that I’m choosing to be healthier this year, it will take more planning and preparation for the weekend, but I’m willing to sacrifice this in order to get me out the door faster. Go for prepping the night before if you can’t do a weekly prep. Give it a try for at least a month and I swear, you will see results.

Tip 4: Wake up earlier

Waking up early is my fourth tip. Yes, I know it’s so effortless to sleep in just 5-10 minutes longer, especially when your bed is so warm and cozy. However, even if it’s an extra 10-15 minutes earlier a day, you will find that decreases your stress in the morning. Think about it, that time will allow you to make your bed or drink a cup of coffee (or tea). Ok, if you are bed snuggler, I get it. Try getting up earlier, but find tasks to do while in bed. I will often check my emails and social media accounts in the morning while cozy in bed.

Tip 5: Order your Starbucks via the mobile app

For my final tip on how to get you out the door on time, this is for all of you Starbucks junkies (guilty). Starbucks has a mobile app (not too user-friendly, though) that will allow you to order your drink ahead. It will let you repeat your previous orders and pay through the app. This way, all you have to do is walk in and grab your ready-made order. Ordering via the app will save you time from waiting in line or waiting in the drive-through. As I mentioned earlier, it’s not the most user-friendly app (sorry Starbucks), but once you get the hang of it, you can save so much time.

 

If you follow these five tips, then it’s sure to get you ready on time with less stress. I find that it’s a little more work, but worth feeling good in the mornings and starting my day off right. Do you have any tips that help you get out the door faster? Leave a comment and let me know. I would love to save even more time.

 

Outfit Details

Express sweater (similar here) | Express skirt | Steve Madden shoes | Zara bag

 

This article is not sponsored by any of the brands mentioned above. However, some of the links may contain affiliate links which may generate revenue for the site when clicked, or when a purchase occurs. The information in this post is my thoughts and preferences.

Photos by @cristaltapp