Spend a few minutes going over your master to-do list, and picking the few items on it that are going to be prioritized today, and loosely sequencing them. Your day will be so much better and go much more smoothly if you start off in the morning with a solid idea and loose timeline of what you’ll be accomplishing during the day (once you’ve finished your coffee, of course).Mary writes every day for TFD, and <a href="https://twitter.com/mawyalyssa">tweets </a>every day for her own personal fulfillment. Talk to her about money and life at <a href="mailto:mary@thefinancialdiet.com">mary@thefinancialdiet.com </a>!

10. Take a peek at your to-do list.

I know you’ve heard this a million times, but it really does make things harder. I have a much harder time waking up and feeling awake all day if I hit the snooze button on my alarm in the morning. Get up after one alarm and let yourself slowly adjust to being human again, but don’t go back to sleep – it just confuses the hell out of your body.

1. Actually don't hit snooze

Because it is, again, one less thing for you to do at night, and it helps you wake up and feel more energized even if you’re moping around and not wanting to go to work. I’ve tried being both a “night-shower-person” and a “morning-shower-person” before, and morning always wins. It is essentially the only way to truly wake me up and get me ready for the day, and I cannot stress how much worse I feel all day if I don’t get a chance to shower in the morning.

8. Shower.

Know of anything you’ll need at-the-ready tomorrow morning? Put it out now so you don’t have to worry about it when you get home. It’ll be one less thing for you to worry about preparing after you return from a long day at work.

6. Think ahead to tomorrow.

Let it chill in there all day, then pop some coffee ice cubes in it when you hit your afternoon slump for a little pick-me-up.

4. Put your coffee leftovers in the fridge.

I know we spend a lot of time on TFD talking people out of buying pricey work lunches because it is something people are often guilty of, but to be honest, I personally get way more excited when I know I’ve packed my own little lunch that I can eat whenever I want without having to go into the outside world, seek out food, and purchase it. Put last night’s leftovers into a Tupperware container or simply throw an apple and a sleeve of Ritz crackers in your bag. Anything that gets you jazzed up works.

5. Pack yourself a little lunch.

Working out in the morning (if you can make the time) is one of the best things you can do for your day. I’ve struggled between figuring if I would be a morning-gym-person or an afternoon/evening-gym-person before realizing and accepting that I’m just not someone who feels like working out regardless of the time of day. So I stick to doing it in the morning, because at least I have the added bonus of feeling like a healthful, accomplished badass all day post-workout.

7. Do something kind for your body.

True that you can do them when you get home from work, but will you want to? No. The answer is a hard no.

3. Do your dishes after breakfast.

You’ll thank yourself when you come home to a hot meal at the end of your long day, and thankfully, most crock-pot meals aren’t too difficult to throw together in a few minutes in the morning.

2. Put something in the slow 

Here are ten things I do in the morning to make sure I have a better day – give it a shot, and you may just find yourself one step closer to feeling like a Certified Morning Person.

I’m always tempted to shed my pajamas and toss them on the floor when I get dressed in the morning, but picking everything up and putting it in its proper place always makes me feel so much better. I hate coming home to clothes thrown on the floor – I’d rather take the extra few minutes to pick up after myself when I’m rushing around in the morning than deal with it all when I get home later in the day.

8. Shower.

Similar ideas to 8. Shower.

Our Chronotype

Wake-up light

Prioritize Tasks by Energy Level