I’ve always been a morning person. It’s a gift and a curse at the same time, but mostly a gift. The earlier I wake up, the earlier I can start my day. When I’m up and moving earlier, I feel like I accomplish more and can be really productive. That’s a win in my book.

Plus, my kitty usually has me awake by 6:30am anyway.

Growing up, a lot of my friends weren’t exactly morning people. At sleepovers, I was always the first one asleep and the first one awake. My sleeping habits were the subject of many jokes, but later, they were all asking me how I do it (and remain sane while doing so). Who’s yawning now?

Here are my 6 tips for making your mornings more manageable and becoming a morning person!

I like being a morning person. I don’t claim that these tips will magically turn you into a morning person, but they’ll definitely make a difference.

1. Lay out your clothes the night before.

I do this pretty much every night during the week. It saves me 10 extra minutes in the mornings and I get those precious minutes back in sleep. Sure, sometimes I change my mind in the morning, but for the most part, I stick with what I picked the night before. It’s a small step that helps so much more than I could have imagined, especially during busy weeks. Those 10 extra minutes make a world of difference, too.

2. Have something to be excited about as soon as you wake up.

It doesn’t matter if it’s your favorite breakfast, your favorite coffee mug, your favorite outfit, your favorite lunch at work or your favorite socks. When you wake up knowing that something awesome is going to happen that day–sometimes before you even leave your apartment–it helps to get going in the morning.

3. Know what’s on tap for the day ahead.

Even if you don’t know exactly what is going on in your day, having a general idea of your schedule helps to focus and think about what you need to do. Sometimes I make to-do lists, or sometimes I write my schedule on my whiteboard in my bedroom. No matter how I do it, knowing what I have to tackle in the day ahead reminds me that I have to get going so I can make all those things on my to-do list and/or my whiteboard happen.

6 #tips for becoming a morning person Click To Tweet

4. Drink something that will wake you up. Preferably something healthful.

For me, that happens to be coffee. The first thing I do in the mornings is turn on my coffee maker and brew a cup while I’m making my bed or washing my face. A lot of people drink tea, which is also great. I’ve read that lemon water is just as effective as drinking coffee, and definitely more healthful.

I usually just stick with coffee, though. It’s easy, and I’ve been drinking it every morning since my senior year of high school. Old habits die hard. I know. I tried to not drink coffee once. Once.

The point is, drink something when you wake up. It helps.

5. Wake up and look at something that makes you happy.

Set a favorite photo or hang some awesome wall art so it’s one of the first things you see upon waking up. I have a painting I did in grad school hanging on the wall across from my bed, and I have a picture collage on my nightstand. Both of those things make me happy when I wake up. Starting your day with a smile is the best way to start your day.

And of course, there’s the kitty. There’s no way I can’t be happy to wake up to her purring in my face. Unless it’s not even 5:00am. Then we have to talk.

6. Find a routine, and stick to it.

I cannot stress this one enough. Consistency is key here, as it is with many things in life. I’ve had the same morning routine since high school: get up, make coffee, make bed, wash face, put in contacts, drink coffee, eat breakfast, get dressed, put my face on, head out.

Remember how I said old habits die hard? This one is still going pretty strong.

Seriously, find a morning routine that works for you and stick with it. It’s like a checklist in your head, but one you can make fun and fit for you to get through the mornings. As you go through each part of your routine, the morning is closer and closer to being done, and you’re closer to the next part of the day.

Want to make mornings easier? These 6 #tips are for you! Click To Tweet

Bonus: check out these 13 apps every non-morning person needs in his life, courtesy of Buzzfeed. Always coming in clutch.

Being a morning person isn’t always easy, and it doesn’t always come naturally. You don’t become a morning person overnight, but you can make changes to develop better habits that makes mornings more manageable.

Are you, or have you ever been a morning person? What do you do to make your mornings more manageable?