I used to roll my eyes at my wife's 10 minute kitchen timer trick, then I timed my own routine for 3 weeks
I always thought setting a timer for basic tasks was for people who couldn't focus. My wife started using one about 6 months ago when she got overwhelmed with grad school and I gave her a hard time about it, calling it a crutch. Then in January I tracked my own mornings for 3 weeks with a stopwatch app on my phone and the numbers honestly embarrassed me. I was spending 22 minutes just on my phone before even getting out of bed, and another 40 minutes making coffee, breakfast, and getting dressed because I kept drifting between tasks. She was doing her whole routine in 35 minutes flat with the timer going. After 2 weeks of copying her system, my average dropped from 62 minutes to 41, and I actually left the house calm instead of that low grade panic I used to have every day. I still hate that she was right but I can't argue with the stopwatch. Has anyone else tracked their own morning numbers and gotten a surprise like this?
That low grade panic" hits home for me. I used to think timers were silly too, then I actually watched the clock one morning and wow, the gaps add up fast. Your drop from 62 to 41 is real progress, give it a few more weeks and it might surprise you again.