Hey everyone!


If you are a perfectionist and wake up three hours early just to get ready, then please leave. This is certainly not something you would enjoy or encourage. But if you're lazy AF and like to sleep for a few extra hours every morning, then you are at the right place! I am someone who is almost, always running late, prefer to get a full 8 hours of beauty sleep and yet, don't wanna disappoint my boss at work by showing up late. Over the years I have realized that it's very easy to get ready quickly and show up at work on time with some planning. And no, you're not skipping anything - you're just making sure everything you need to do has already been done beforehand! Let's get started!

Things you can do the night before -

Sort out the clothes you wanna wear and keep them aside
I plan my outfit in my head all the time much before I have to actually wear it! If you can't remember what clothes you own, then just spend a couple of hours organizing your closet over the weekend. Segregate your clothes based on occasions and have separate storage areas for each category. If you have no time for this, then just keep 4-5 dresses or jeans and tees that are easy to wear, are kinda your go-to dresses and keep them hung at an easily accessible area in your closet so that you can literally pull them out in 2 seconds and wear them.

Pack your office shoes and gym stuff in your bag
I usually wear my running shoes to office because I have to walk a lot to and from the train station. I always have some of my work shoes that go with all my outfits wrapped in plastic bags so that I can just pack 'em in my backpack without spending too much time trying to match shoes to outfits. An even better solution is to keep these shoes in your backpack at all times! Since I go to gym immediately after office, I have to make sure that I have packed my sports bra, a tee and tracks, running shoes and most importantly, socks! (Oh yeah, I have forgotten to pack socks once and had to skip gym for such a silly reason.) As I mentioned earlier, I wear my running shoes or pack them (along with socks) the previous day if  for some reason I don't wear them. I also pack all of my gym clothes before I go to bed.
Cook and pack your lunch and other food items
Most people in tech prefer carrying their own dabbas because of unavailability of good food around workplaces or to save money or to just stay healthy. I am definitely one of those people and I literally carry a lunch box every single day! What I like to do is cook something in the evening that works as dinner as well as lunch the following day. I pack my food in a lunch box before I go to bed and I am all set for the morning. I pack some extra stuff as well like fruits, maybe a spoon, some carrots etc. Also, because I am always hungry and low on sugar, I have a pouch full of chocolates, nuts, biscuits etc. in my backpack at all times. I also like to carry a small water bottle that you'll find in my backpack at all times too.



Take a warm shower
Since I go to the gym in the evening, I always shower after and prefer to sleep clean! If you think that's not a great idea, then you will definitely have to wake up like 20 mins early or something to shower. But do ensure that you shower everyday :p

Prep for breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it's not wise to skip the same. Making an elaborate breakfast can be a hassle sometimes and going to work on an empty stomach just makes it very difficult for me to function. I keep some things ready the night before so that I can consume them the next morning - like making guacamole the night before or poha sometimes or even getting the chutney ready.

Things you can do in the morning -

Have a quick breakfast and  some chai
On days I haven't prepped for breaky the night before, I grab a banana or eat some cereal before I leave for office and carry a box of fruits to work that I eat at a later time. Nuts or energy bars are another alternative for a super quick breakfast. It's also a good idea to have a husband whose only exemplary skill in the kitchen is chai making :D If not, you can try to make some instant coffee or wait till you get to work and then grab a cup of coffee.
Do your hair and make-up in 5 minutes
So if you know me, you'll know that I do no make-up to office on most days, but just to look a little presentable, I do my CTM routine, I apply some lip balm and lipstick and if I am feeling adventurous, some kajal or a coat of mascara and that's it! I also never leave the house without some perfume or deo, but I also keep a tiny bottle in my backpack just in case I forget. I also usually have a lipstick in my purse in case I don't have time to apply any. With my hair, I usually just brush it or tie all of my hair using a hair tie and I am all set. So, this is where you need to be a minimalist. If you have absolutely no time, skip the foundation part and just highlight your eyes a bit and apply some bold lipstick. I just spend 5 minutes on my hair and make-up!

Take a quick shower
We all have those days when (especially us ladies) we absolutely need to take a shower before going to work. During these days, quickly hop into the shower and don't spend more than 5 minutes there! By quick, I really mean quick!

Things you can do while you're on your way -

Pre-plan your commute
You would know exactly how much time it would take for you to get to one place from another (unless you're in Bangalore! :p) and if you don't, you can always rely on Google Maps. Spend a good 5 minutes or so memorizing the directions so that you don't waste time looking at Google Maps while you're there. This helps a lot, especially for someone like me who has to go to different locations each day and is terrible with directions! Make sure you leave home on time or at least keep a buffer of 5 minutes.

Catch up with other chores
You can do certain things on the train or in the cab - like applying your lipstick, eating your breakfast, checking your emails etc. A lot of my friends and family like to read this really cool blog called www.handonthehip.com :D Just sayin'! :p

Things you can do after reaching office -

Make good use of office washrooms
Oh yeah! If you have left your home without any make-up or your hair undone, then it can be very well done after reaching office. Nobody expects you to be glued to your desk! Excuse yourself for 5 minutes and quickly apply some lipstick or brush your hair in the ladies room.