Do you remember when you were in elementary school and your mother would lay your outfit out the night before? Well, there was a method to mom’s madness. People often waste unnecessary time looking through their closets each morning, but you can eliminate that step altogether. On nights where you know you have an early morning commute coming up in mere hours, just grab an outfit and lay it on the floor, or hang it over the back of a chair. Something. Anything. If you make that part of your routine each night, you’ll easily shave 5 to 10 minutes off of your routine every morning.

These days, people often grab their phones within seconds of their eyes opening each morning. In fact, more people likely do that than don’t. As if some imperative email, text or tweet was sent at 5 A.M. Either way, we get it. That’s the new way of the world. We collectively want to be plugged in at all times, and perhaps no time more so than directly after waking up. Use that as a mental incentive. If you tell yourself that you’re not allowed to check your phone until after you’ve showered, you’d be shocked at how little procrastinating you’ll do. Lying in bed and watching that early morning talk show isn’t as alluring if it’s preventing you from checking Facebook.

Once you’re up and out of bed, the faster you hit play on an up-tempo playlist the better. The sooner your toes are naturally tapping, the sooner you’re awake and ready to take on the day. You know why athletes listen to music before heading out onto their battlefield of choice? It’s because the right song can get your endorphins going.

When someone is passed out in the movies, you may see someone dump some cold water on them, or even toss them into a running shower. Why? Because that actually does help to wake you up and get you going. Shock the system with a massive splash of cold water to the face, preferably after achieving that perfect office look with the BIC? Flex 5? and its precision edging blade. The splash of cold water right after a shave will absolutely help knock the early morning cobwebs off, and it’ll do so pretty darn quick.

If you’re lucky enough to have a balcony that’s attached to your bedroom, use it. Each morning, while you’re in that groggy, post-slumber state, step outside and take a big ol’ breath. In fact, for a one-two wake-up punch, you may want to enjoy your morning cup of coffee out there. Never underestimate the power of some fresh air — especially in the fall or early spring when you could describe the temperature as being “crisp.”

Those old coffee commercials you might remember from childhood were actually pretty dead-on. If you wake up and smell coffee, you’ll innately crave a cup. In fact, you may want a cup right now just after reading that last sentence. Coffee has a way of tempting you. Let it. Preset your coffee maker and allow yourself to give in to its seductive aroma each and every morning. If you sleep close enough to your kitchen, you may not even need an alarm clock. Just follow your nose.

Here’s the thing about syrup-soaked pancakes, coffee cakes and muffins…they’re delicious. They really are and there’s no arguing that fact. But at the same time, why the hell are they mostly marketed as breakfast foods? What makes a blueberry strudel any different than a slice of blueberry pie? Nothing! And, guys, we’re sorry, but there’s really no good way to justify eating a pie equivalent at 9 A.M. Eat a breakfast packed with protein, not one composed of sugar.

While caffeine does its job and does it well, there’s actually another liquid that you should be drinking right after waking up each morning. Water. Yes, forget the fancy coffee; unbeknownst to most, slamming a tall glass of water actually helps to activate your brain even faster than coffee. Right after you wake up, pour yourself a glass, chug it down, then hop into the shower. By the time you’re out, you’re naturally alert, awake and ready to go. You might want a cup of coffee, both for the added boost and for routine’s sake, but you may not need it.

This one is pretty simple. When setting your alarm, never use a song that you’re a fan of, as many people often do. In fact, don’t use any sound that’s even close to being sonically pleasing. There’s a reason that the default iPhone alarm sound is as grating as it is. That’s because regardless of how early it is, or how out of it you are, you damn sure want to make that infuriating sound stop as soon as possible. At the end of the day, that’s what you need in an alarm clock — horrid annoyance.

The problem with alarm clocks is that they come with a snooze button. So while you’re in your most groggy state, you’re literally being given the option to make that infuriating sound cease to exist. Hell, you probably know your wake-up routine so well that you could hit snooze while your eyes are still shut. Do yourself a favor and remove that all-too-easy option. Take it out of the equation. Place your alarm clock so far away that it necessitates you actually getting out of your bed to stop it. Once you’re standing up, you likely won’t want to hit snooze, and will want a cup of coffee instead.