I don’t know about you, but few things compel me from the quiet warmth of my comforter at 6 a.m.—not even the premeditated shriek of my alarm. I mastered the reach-and-snooze motion in high school, and have since trained myself into a last-minute Olympian, an expert in racing the clock when you’re running behind. This worked just fine up until my late twenties as a young professional in Portland, Oregon. Getting ready in the morning was a snap—literally. I’d just snap on the first thing I coordinated, and motion towards the door. But since moving to New York two years ago for a new job, my lifestyle has changed.

Like a confusing prank from Alice in Wonderland, it feels as if my room has shrunken, while my belongings have grown. My apartment is half the size of my old place, and my closet is a fraction of its former self. This wreaked havoc on my late-riser antics. Suddenly, finding tops to match skirts, jackets for the shifting weather and right pair of slacks became a treasure hunt—where were they?

My closet was overwrought with haphazard stacks and disorganized piles, with disproportionate vertical space only heightening the problem. My dressing disasters consistently made me late for morning meetings and important calls with clients. I was given two warnings from my manager. I needed a morning solution stronger than coffee: I needed a closet organizer system.

A colleague suggested the melamine custom closets at Hold N Storage. The smart combinations of shelving, shoe racks and wire add-ons transformed my closet, taking advantage of the high ceilings and making every corner count for storage. I haven’t changed my snooze-and-rise antics—and I’ve been early to work every day this week. I can’t recommend custom closets enough.