Create a landing pad in the entrance of your home

The entrance of your home should function as a place to leave the world behind and as a place from which to venture forth. Set up something nice for yourself. Ideally there should be a hall closet for coats but a small bureau is good to have also. You need a place to dump your purse when you first come home. Have a trash can handy to drop unwanted papers. Also this is a good time to sort the mail. Have a system set up for incoming and outgoing. You want to be sure you know when bills are due. I generally have only one credit card and the closing date is pretty stable. I have a DISCOVER CARD which is very handy because it's so easy to check my balance. I generally clean out my wallet when I get home so I have a couple of receptacles handy: a piggy bank for change and a jar for the pennies. I also always carry food so I check on that. My bureau holds hats, scarves, gloves, umbrellas, etc. I also keep a receipt receptacle (an old tissue box) to clean out my wallet. I always have a place for my keys. I lived on Staten Island and one day on my way to work, I literally missed the boat because I couldn't find my keys. That never happened again. At the bottom of my closet I keep bottled water to grab one on the way out in the morning. I also keep some packed up snacks. I don't usually do that in the morning. I do all that when I get in. I get in, clean out my bag and pack it up for the next day so I'm ready to go the next morning. After dinner I pack up tomorrow's lunch and put it in the fridge. This may sound anal but it makes for a very relaxed morning ritual. Even if I'm running late, I don't have to worry because I can just grab and go. I already have everything I need ready. I don't have to think. Back when I was spending 14 hours a day out of the house, believe me, not having to think at 5 am was and is a very good thing.