If you’re like Tip Diva, trying to get out the door on time every morning can sometimes be a hassle. But whether you go to work or to school, here are some tips to minimize the hubbub and leave yourself some time to breathe before catching the train, carpool or bus:

1. Get The Proper Amount Of Sleep - The number of hours you sleep makes all the difference in how quickly you wake up and how refreshed you feel. A Mayo Clinic article by Dr. Kenneth Berge explains more.
2. Position Your Alarm Clock Away From Your Bed - The closer the alarm clock is to you, the more likely you are to hit the snooze button. Place your alarm clock across the room so you have to force yourself to get up, walk over to the clock and shut it off.  If you have an iPod, consider buying an iPod alarm clock like IH4 Black Alarm Clock for iPod, where you can set the song you want to wake up to. Something you hate or is especially catchy will make you shut off the alarm in no time. Tip Diva currently wakes up to The Muppets’ “Manhamanha.”
3. Lay Out Your Clothes The Night Before - Make sure your clothes are clean, ironed and set aside for the next day. This doesn’t just include your clothes, but shoes, accessories, jewelry and your outerwear, as well. This prevents any last minute scrambling to find your black socks or left shoe.
4. Pack Your Purse/Briefcase/Backpack/Lunchbox The Night Before - Like your clothes, your purse, briefcase, backpack and/or lunchbox should be ready to go. Make sure you have essentials such as your wallet, keys, train ticket, cell phone and umbrella.
5. Shower In The Evening - Try and shower the night before, so you don’t have to waste time waiting for the water to heat up or blow-drying your hair in the morning. If you must shower in the a.m., make sure to allot enough time to take such things into consideration. If bad hair is your major concern, check out these tips for dealing with bed head.
6. Check Your E-Mail In The Evening - Checking e-mail and browsing the Web are two of the biggest time wasters in the morning. Unless it’s necessary, check your e-mail the evening before. A lot of morning mail is just spam. And if you need the weather, turn on the radio - you can still get dressed, pour your coffee or brush your teeth while listening.
7. Turn On The Coffee Maker First Thing - Don’t go through your morning routine without turning on the coffee maker first. What good is making coffee five minutes before you have to run out the door?
8. Minimize Your Makeup Routine - If you wear makeup, see where you can minimize your routine. You may find that lipstick, mascara and blush do the trick, and that you really don’t need primer, foundation, eyeliner, lip liner and highlighter, as well. Go to a department store cosmetics counter for a free makeover, and tell the consultant that you want to minimize your makeup. He or she can teach you how to apply the least amount of makeup for the biggest bang.
9. Stock Your Kitchen With Quick Eats - If you don’t have time to cook or make breakfast, there are plenty of alternatives, such as cereal bars and meal replacement shakes. I personally like to hard-boil eggs the night before and store them in the fridge for a quick bite the next morning.
10. Set Schedules - If your home has many people trying to get out of the house at the same time, set schedules on when people should wake up and how much time they get in the bathroom. Try to do certain activities outside of the bathroom, such as getting dressed, blowdrying your hair and putting on makeup, so everyone has a decent amount of time in the bathroom.

What do you do to get out of the door faster?

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