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In short it's usually about an hour, give or take, from getting out of bed to putting the keys into the car's ignition. During that period I need to shower, shave, get something to eat, program my day and rearrange the cars in the driveway (one car garage) so that the rest of the family can leave in the right order. Anything that shaves (no pun intended) time off that period is of value. This morning I managed to get out in 50 minutes so that I could be the first customer at the barber shop. At the price of eating breakfast, one-third of a head of lettuce, on the road.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Normally I can get up and start the engine to head for work in about 30 minutes. It helps to lay out my clothes the night before, and since I have a beard there is minimal trim shaving, which I also do the night before. While the shower is warming up I turn on the fan and go to the bathroom. It doesn't take but a couple of minutes. After dressing I go downstairs, take a couple of daily medications, grab my lunch which I made the night before, my badge and my phone, and head for the front door. We keep both cars in the driveway side-by-side so either can leave. Interesting choice of food for your breakfast. I normally have instant oatmeal that I make at the office, since I don't like to eat until I have been up for a couple of hours. And of course, coffee, which is provided free at work and is surprisingly decent if I make it.
Normally I can get up and start the engine to head for work in about 30 minutes. It helps to lay out my clothes the night before, and since I have a beard there is minimal trim shaving, which I also do the night before. While the shower is warming up I turn on the fan and go to the bathroom. It doesn't take but a couple of minutes. After dressing I go downstairs, take a couple of daily medications, grab my lunch which I made the night before, my badge and my phone, and head for the front door. We keep both cars in the driveway side-by-side so either can leave.
Those all help but our driveway does not permit that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hemlock140
Interesting choice of food for your breakfast. I normally have instant oatmeal that I make at the office, since I don't like to eat until I have been up for a couple of hours. And of course, coffee, which is provided free at work and is surprisingly decent if I make it.
In Israel, salad is often a part of breakfast. It's a good way to make sure I'm getting my roughage in every day. I actually usually eat my dinner at breakfast time. That flipping of the meal cycle has helped me lose and keep off about 20 lbs. since April 2018.
Alarm goes off at 5, in the shower at 5:01, out of shower 5:07, done with dressing at 5:10, grab some food for breakfast and lunch from the fridge by 5:15, fill water bottle by 5:16, exit driveway 5:18, arrive at work 5:57-6:00 depending on how many lights are green for me.
Female here. It takes me about 2 hours. It would take less, but some days, allow myself to be distracted.
I defend myself against my husband, who seems to take maybe 1/2 an hour to 45 minutes, when he teases me about taking so long.
Being female, I have more hair (on my head) to wash, and condition. That takes longer. Then, I'm responsible for feeding the dog, and making sure he has opportunities (at least 2) to go outside and do his business before I'm gone for the day. Also factor in putting on makeup (which my husband doesn't do.) Also, I usually have to defrost something for that night. (Yes, I could defrost it the night before...but I don't.)
Being female, I have more hair (on my head) to wash, and condition. Five minutes max
feeding the dog Five minutes max
and making sure he has opportunities (at least 2) to go outside and do his business Let him out when you wake up and let him back in right before you leave. 2 minutes
Also factor in putting on makeup Not necessary (besides you're married)
defrost something for that night. 1 minute max.
That's 13 minutes instead of your 120 minutes. My way saves you 107 minutes per day or 107*5*52/60 = 463 HOURS PER YEAR
I get up at 5:30am, shower takes less than a minute to get warm. I am in the bathroom for about 15 minutes. 5 minutes to dress (or less).
I wash my hair separately, every 2-3 days in the evenings after gym. It takes maybe 10 min to wait for the conditioner to work. I do not dry blow.
Walk the dog for 10 minutes. Prepare her defrosted fresh food with all the supplements and crap on it, grab some food for myself, give her some kisses.
I was just talking with a millennial colleague about this the other day. He gets up at 5am for a 7:30am work arrival. I get up at 6:30 for an 7:30 work arrival (20 minute commute for both of us). A lot of his delay is trying to front-load too much (work-outs, housekeeping, closet organizing). I leave all of that for after work. For me, the morning is only about getting to the office as quickly as possible.
I am 30 minutes from wake-up to car ignition:
Up immediately when alarm goes off (snooze button is evil IMHO).
Brush teeth -- 2-3 minutes
Shower -- 5-7 minutes
Hair/ Shave -- 3-5 minutes -- simple hair and facial hair styles are optimal
Dress -- 5 minutes (it helps to know what you plan to wear the night before -- I am amazed at how long some take to get dressed). I also buy and maintain multiples of the same trousers and similar shirts at a time -- there is always a clean pair of gray wool trousers and a striped Brooks Brothers shirt in the closet at all times.
Must be downstairs after 20 minutes, this is a key metric.
Newspaper quick read & timer-brewed coffee -- 10 minutes max.
Back in the 1990s, I worked alongside two women on a travelling project. We would carpool in the rental car from the hotel at 7:00am. They both required two full hours on hair and makeup EVERY MORNING. I still cannot wrap my mind around that. They were always exhausted by 5pm.
My commute is horrendous, plus I work long hours and don't sleep much, so I don't waste time on long morning routines. Provided I'm all set from the night before, I'm usually up and out in 20 minutes. The good thing about it is that I get to fit in a lot of reading commuting to work.
I get up anywhere between 5:30 and 6:00 depending on if the cat is in the mood to let me sleep or not. He can be a very demanding little overlord.
I turn on my lights, go hit the button to get my computer booting up, take my allergy pill and use the bathroom. Then downstairs to feed the cat, and make my coffee. While it brews, I do the dishes if there are any, or take care of any small cleaning tasks that I see needing done (there is always something.) Take my coffee back upstairs, maintain my financial reporting with any activity from the day prior, pay any bills needing paid, etc. At 6:30, I go back down, having finished my first cup of coffee and go outside for a cigarette with a book to read. Then my hygiene routine which has a very particular order of teeth cleaning, showering, vitamins and face moisturizing, getting dressed, deodorant and body spray, brushing my wet hair, and I'm off downstairs again to gather my second cup of coffee in a travel mug and my purse (which is in the exact same place each day) and out the door by 7:15. It is precisely 12 minutes if I drive fast and have good luck with traffic, to get to work. It's nice to have a couple of extra minutes just in case.
I really like having an exact routine so that I don't have to think about things, or search for my keys or whatever. I prefer a very methodical process to most things in life.
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