Tip for Tuesday: 'Twas the Night Before...

This tip is probably used by all of you, especially moms, but just in case you don't do this, let me encourage you to do something that will make your day start off smoothly and therefore influence the rest of your day for the positive.  I find that if I don't do this, my morning is rushed, I get in a bad mood, and before I realize it, I'm having to repent for a bad attitude.

So here's the tip: get your entire day ready the night before.

Food:
I put out a Belvita package or a baggie of muffins or whatever to remind me to bring it with us to work (Mike likes to eat later after he fully wakes up).
I set up the coffee maker the night before, for it to brew about 15 minutes before we leave.  Then we can put it in a travel mug and take it to go (for Mike... I can't stomach coffee.  Blech!).
I make the lunches the day before and put them in the fridge.  It's grab and go.
Sometimes I even take out non-perishable ingredients the night before, and the pans I need for dinner and place them by the stove.  That way, as soon as I come home from work, I am ready to get dinner going!  This won't really work if you stay home all day, but for workdays, it's helpful.

Clothes:
I set out all of my clothes for the night before, including undergarments and jewelry.  This means that in the morning, I don't stand in front of my closet for 15 minutes, trying to decide what to wear.  Again, it's grab and go.
Make sure all random articles of clothing are already in the hamper.  It makes laundry the next day a piece of cake, because you don't have to go hunting for dirty laundry, smelling all sorts of suspicious garments.

Work:
Anything you need to take to work, put by your purse in the morning.  Your head is probably too groggy in the morning to remember, so when your head is clearer at night, put it all by your purse.  I've been known to have a huge pile by my purse, because I'm forgetful.
If you have letters to mail, or little errands to run that day, also pile those by your purse.  You can pop them in your car, so when you get back in after work, you'll remember all your errands.

List:
At night, make a quick list of everything that needs to be done that day, and place it either on your purse or in a prominent location for when you come home.  Then you won't have to keep it in your mind, consult your calendar, or forget as soon as you come home.

I know this seems obvious, but if you do all this at night (takes maybe a half hour total), it will shave off lots of minutes in the morning (either giving you more time to sleep, or make sure you're not late to work), will clear your head and help eliminate those stressful panic moments or forgetfulness.

Sometimes I've even thought of more things I needed at work or needed to put on my list, once I'd closed my eyes to try to sleep.  So I pop out of bed and do it THEN, because I know my mind in the morning.  I'm only thinking of two things: I wish I was back in bed, and I wish it were Saturday.

If you haven't started the "night before" habit, do it... you'll notice a difference!

xoxo, A