I’m willing to bet you’ve experienced on one too many occasions the effects of not having enough time to prepare for work after that alarm clock sounds the digital battle cry. To err is to be human, but beyond the darkness of consistently being ruled by clock there exists a promising light of promptness. Attaining morning bliss is easy, with a little planning.

Personally a few years back before I rebooted my morning routine, the AM hours consisted of never eating breakfast and hopping up on what couldn’t have been healthy amounts of manufactured eye-opener aka caffeine. Red Bull coursing through my veins, I’d consistently forget lunches and other items that I’d want to have with me at the workplace. I’ve never been a ill-prepared individual, but I will say that my college/early work years could have been injected with a solid dose sticky notes. I’ve got that on “lockdown” now and hit every day stacked to the brim with everything I will or potentially need.

So, what did I do to go from forgetful fumbler to stocked stud? Well, the recipe lies across several methods of better morning-time management via the evening before. You see, I was always viewing the time before making my commute as my window to pack the briefcase and dash off, when in fact I was dead wrong. To become the optimized professional, there were four main points I had to hit that hardly take any time and can be done 12 hours before work.

Pack lunch - This is perhaps the biggest time saver I can recommend. You’ll love yourself for doing this the night before.

Lay out clothes - No more deciding on what to wear or furiously sifting through closets at the last minute.

Write reminders - Instead of gradually remembering “to-dos” through the day, jot them down while they are fresh.

Clean up room/house - The feeling of leaving a living environment messy will hamper sleep and wear on a person through the day.

By doing these things at night, instead of the morning, you’ll enjoy a care-free commute with plenty of hourglass to spare between waking up and pushing through the office doors.

photo by: Flickr user amnesiak1978

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(This is a follow-up to “How to Make and Keep New Year’s Resolutions”)

Last week, I posted an article here at Modern Worker about making and keeping new year’s resolutions. Additionally, I included a list of 10 goals to help get that process of choosing a resolution(s) going.

Being that this blog is lucky and grateful to have a growing readership of thoughtful folks, it was not to my surprise that Kare from MovingFromMetoWe.com added 6 more resolutions. Kudos to her for submitting these inspirational points!

11. Get specific sooner
12. Do first things first
13. Have rewards
14. Take a daily constitutional with someone you love.
15. Give thanks at least five times a day.
16. Collaborate with someone who shares one of your most deeply held values yet who is other wise much different than you

- Kare

I encourage everyone to hop into the conversations here and become part of Modern Worker beyond subscribing

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1 - Educational challenges - What was once massaged your brain into stimulation can become a nuisance after repeated experiences. This is actually one of the leading causes in folks switching jobs/careers. Keep a fresh supply of mental chewing gum by digging into War and Peace, attempting a new language or revisiting high school mathematics.

How this worked for me - Recently, I’ve been trying my gift of gab in the form of Vietnamese. Meeting new people and connecting via this beautiful language has been rewarding beyond description.

2 - Re-arrange your schedule - Obviously, this can be filed under the “easier said than done” category. Trust me on this one though, and take it one step at a time before going as far as to ask for the night shift, hehe. For instance, instead of working out at the gym on M/W/F, give T/Th/Su a go. In this case, by going from one set of times to another, you’ll encounter new people which can lead to increased networking.

How this worked for me - I had honed a 200 average at the bowling alley every Thursday night for months. Now my Lebowski-ness occurs on Tuesdays and my group of pin pals has increased for the better. Oddly enough, the oil conditions are better and my average has risen.

3 - Take the scenic route - Literally, this would mean an alternative route home, and although that qualifies as a refreshing stimulant, I’m talking on a grander scale. Make it a goal to take at least one trip per month to a new town, city, or state on your days off. You can go the way of the lone ranger and cruise solo, but sharing with friends/family enriches the experience.

How this worked for me - Days out and about on the weekends has doubled as a chance to focus on my photography hobby. Bonus!

4 - Plan a get-together with friends - Often times professionals will focus on their career and leave behind the communication with friends and family. Make it a point to grab dinner or have a house party with close friends and/or relatives on fairly frequent basis.

How this worked for me - Some of the best I friends I have were made from specifically seeking time to have fun while not at work. True story.

5 - Keep a 7-day diary - Writing has been proven time and time again to be thoroughly therapeutic. Thoughts can build up like a messy desk in the subconscious of our minds and eventually lead to a wild stress-induced mood swing. Sounds familiar? Yeah, I’ve been there too. Write about anything or everything to clear off that mental deskspace at least once a week. Without mental health and clarity, your happiness is genuinely impaired.

How this worked for me - Writing has provided me an outlet for pent-up feelings and thoughts that would have gone unattended. By casually recognizing what’s on my mind, I’ve been able to do a ton of self-improvement over the past several years. Writing… Modern-Worker approved!

Now, I’m fully aware these adjustments to life aren’t exactly easy or convenient to make, but I promise you’ll be glad you mixed things up. New environments, people and activities will induce a positive, confident spirit!

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With the new year fast approaching, it’s once again time for resolutions. Bear with me now and don’t get too discouraged, as I’m here to help make this a more enjoyable process into your 2008.

Remember last year when you swore up and down you were going to (insert resolution that was KO’d by laziness here) and quickly faded that into the sunset of forgotten promises? Well forget it now… all of it! Stand tall and proud, because this year you’ll realize what you set out to do and become a better person.

Instead of haphazardly making new year’s resolutions that you’ll have trouble keeping up with, make more attainable goals now. For instance, I’ve decided to increase my volunteering efforts to at least twice a month next year.

That’s a minimum of 24 sessions over the course of 12 months, coming out to once every two weeks. I know I can do it, I’ve already tailored my schedule for it, and have built up much excitement mentally. Also, this resolution allows for flexibility. If I cannot make it out to volunteering, there is a week between to make up for lost appointments.

If you’re having a bit of a mental roadblock and cannot drum up a resolution(s), here are 10 to choose from that will boost your career while making you all the more happier.

• 1 - Clean off the desktop area every Friday before leaving work.
• 2 - Re-adjust workspace to be ergonomic, once a month.
• 3 - Give a percentage of each paycheck to worthy charities
• 4 - Contribute a percentage of each paycheck to savings/investments
• 5 - Take a 5 minute walk break every work hour
• 6 - Arrive 15 minutes earlier each day
• 7 - Switch out half of your coffee drinks for cups of tea
• 8 - Drink at least 3 cups of water per day
• 9 - Bring lunch at least 3 days a week
• 10 - Take time to get to know co-workers better

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Various surveys and studies show that Americans switch jobs between 10 and 15 times through their career(s). Joe Torre is an exception to this, as the majority of his professional path has been with the highly successful New York Yankees baseball franchise as head coach. In the light of an uncharacteristic season of poor performance, Torre is now in the final steps of finalizing a three year contact with the New York Dodgers. Talk about a sticky situation in terms of flipping sides.

Personally, I like change in professional sports and this move by Torre will be fun to watch when the new baseball season commences. I’m not sure however, that Yankees fans share my point of view. By the way, if you’re an NY local, I’d love to hear your take on this whole situation.

Now, back to that statistic I had mentioned previously. If you’re like me, you’ve switched jobs a few times already and know the pressures that ensue in these types of situations. The circumstances can further be pumped up if the switch is from one company to a competitor. There’s hardly anything wrong with this, but soon-to-be-former coworkers might feel betrayed. Follow these key points to gracefully switch jobs without the drama.

- Do not exalt your new position. Bragging shows disrespect and is just plain sloppy. It’s perfectly acceptable to be excited…on the inside.

- Be thankful for the opportunity to have worked at your soon-to-be former workplace. Gratitude is appreciated by everyone, and employers are no exception. Serve up the proper respect and never burn bridges. This is natural for true professionals.

- Give it 100% through the last day. Excitement about moving on to a new position is not a reason to slack at a current job. Continue on through your last two weeks as you normally would and hold up your responsibilities

- Clean our your work area, thoroughly. Make a clean break by not leaving remnants of your former self. Honestly, as much as people might love you, they won’t love what you leave behind.

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