I started a new morning routine after Labor Day with the goal of consistently getting to work before 9:30am (I know, that doesn't seem like a tough goal, but those who know me well know that I've struggled with this all my adult life!).
The key to this master plan is setting two alarms: one for 6am and one for 7am. That way, I'm not changing the alarm clocks around based for special circumstances like:
- Having an early morning meeting (although people know to ask me, and then apologize, if they have to schedule a meeting before 9am)
- Taking the train
- Wanting to sleep in because I: (i) have had a long week already and deserve to sleep in and therefore, be late to work, (ii) stayed up too late, (iii) just don't feel like getting up early
- Wanting to sleep in because I: (i) have had a long week already and deserve to sleep in and therefore, be late to work, (ii) stayed up too late, (iii) just don't feel like getting up early
This master plan, so far, has kept me on track for all my morning scenarios:
A. The normal scenario - driving to work
- Sleep/snooze through the 6am alarm depending on how entertaining or annoying Eric and Kathy are that morning
- If really tired, sleep/snooze till 730 or so, but make sure I'm out of the house by 8:30am (or 8am on carpool days) to ensure a 9:30am arrival. Of course, getting to work around 9am is more ideal
B. The other normal scenario - taking the train to work
- I can still sleep/snooze through the 6am alarm, but have to wake up at the first sign of the 7am alarm in order to be out of the house by 7:30 to make the train
C. The not ideal scenario - If I have a meeting at 9am or before:
- Curse whoever scheduled such a meeting and drag myself out of bed during the first alarm. Boo =(
I'm tracking the # of days I get to work "on time" on the right hand side. Hopefully, I'll string so many together in a row that I'll have to just track the days I don't get to work on time.
