every second counts...

if you're like me, and i know i am, you constantly find yourself leaving for work later and later every day. for me it starts the night before, maybe staying up later than usual to watch a sporting event, or you're engrossed in some vicious on-line call of duty 4 action and keep putting off bedtime. now, if you're a morning guy, it's probably no issue for you but for night creatures like me, rolling out of the rack is the toughest thing i have to do all day. here's a couple of things you can do do to shave off a few minutes in the morning and stay in bed until the last possible second:

get an electric shaver. i know, this was a tough sell for me. i've always been a razor guy. but i discovered that you can slosh on some lectric shave and run the remington around your face in about 90 seconds. shaving with a razor and foam takes 4 minutes at least and that's pushing it.

if you're a coffee guy (and if you're not - what's wrong with you?) make the coffee and set the timer the night before. many modern day coffee makers have built-in timers so you can have a fresh cup of java as soon as you get up. even if yours doesn't you can still set it up at night and just flip the button "on" in the morning. yes, a no brainer but you'd be suprised at how many people mess with this in the morning. nothing kills precious minutes in the morning like brewing a pot of joe.

buy a two-in-one shampoo\conditioner. i know there are plenty of metrosexuals who would never do this. that's fine, but if your hair is cut short (like mine) as long as it's clean, does it really matter? i mean, let's face it, unless you're a male model or play bass in a punk rock band, it should not take 15 minutes to "do" your hair. i can wash my hair and be done in less than two minutes. if you can shower the night before, even better but i need the a.m. shower as part of my waking up process.

pick your clothes for the next day the night before. another no brainer but shame on you if you stare at your closet in the morning looking for something to wear. it's all there at night too! pick something and go with it. that means shoes, socks, belt, the works. this means pressing your shirt and pants at night too.(if applicable). heating up the iron in the morning is for suckers.

if you pack your own lunch, yes, do it the night before. make it a part of your nightly ritual so that it's second nature. you grab your lunch out of the fridge in the morning and go...it's really that simple.

following one or more of these simple tips will help you trim precious minutes off of your morning routine and get you out the door in the quickest way possible. it works for me, and it can work for you too.
this has been a psa from thirdthoughts.com.