As the slower days of summer draw to a close, most of us find that our schedules fill up faster. We have more commitments on our time and less opportunity to just slow down and take things easy. This tends to be true even if we don't have kids in school.

The faster pace of these days may make us wish that we were back on the beach with a good book and a beverage. But we can take steps to make life a little less cluttered.

One big key is developing a routine for getting out of the house in the morning. No routine is one size fits all. The routine that works for you will depend on your personal needs and preferences. For example, I prefer to shower at night before going to bed. Other people aren't properly awake until they've had a morning shower. I might prefer to stay awake a bit later to finish off a task. Others might prefer to wake up a bit early. And it's entirely possible that your preferences will change over time. (I find myself increasingly likely to wake up early as opposed to staying up late.)

The first step in developing a routine is making a list of the things you need to do to be ready to leave the house: shower, get dressed, pack your lunch, fill your briefcase, etc. Then, think about the best time to do those things. I hate the concept of ironing in the morning. When I wake up, I'm extra clumsy, so the use of a hot iron is a bit risky. It's smarter for me to iron a week's worth of outfits on Sunday evening. If you use dinner leftovers for lunch, it might be faster to pack your lunch as you clear the dinner table. It also helps to keep the things you need to use each day (e.g., lunch bag, car keys, backpack) in the same place. That way, you don't have to search.

Once you have identified what you need to do and when it's best to do it, the final step is making it a habot. It takes a few weeks to build a habit, so don't expect an overnight miracle. It may help to post your list/schedule on the fridge or the bathroom mirror or on the main door until keeping the routine becomes second nature.