You know I love a list. You know I love order. You know I love a planner.

I get that things happen all the time that throw us out of our orbit. For example: this past year…

I realize that we can’t plan for every contingency- that things will always go horribly awry…

However…

Sometimes…

I run the dishwasher every evening. I like to either empty the dishwasher before bed, or first thing in the morning. I like to have an empty dishwasher so as we start dirtying things, they can go right into it.

My family, for some reason, finds this annoying. (For the record- I don’t ask them to do it. I just do it myself) My husband might complain that unloading means I have to cross in front of the TV to put dishes away. My daughter might complain about how noisy it can get.

After enough complaining you just start to not care…

So I backed off my dishwasher routine….

One morning, one of our new dishes was sitting idly in the sink. When my husband was making his coffee, he dropped something into the sink, cracking our new dish…

Expletive.

Expletive.

Complaint.

And all I said was: “That’s why I like to empty the dishwasher.”

Trust me…he was really not happy with me after that comment…

But he was less happy with himself…

Because he finally understood why I had that plan…

I know that we can’t plan everything. It’s impossible to have a contingency for every single event in our lives.

However…

A little prep and organization does go a long way…

If you’re always losing your keys, and spend time looking for them…at some point don’t you think :Wow- if I put my keys in the same spot every day, think about how much time and aggravation I will save?”

I don’t necessarily advocate for planning a weeks wardrobe and meal schedule (ok- I do- but baby steps…)

But logically, shouldn’t you have a plan for some things, one or two little organizational hacks that help just a little…

All I’m asking is that you think about it…and think why you’re so resistant to it…

68 thoughts on “Prep”

  1. I’m not a big planner, but I do wonder why people seem incapable of planning for things like their commute. My old boss was late for work every day and always blame traffic. Wouldn’t you eventually plan for the fact that there is always traffic and leave earlier?

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      1. Well, in her case it is becasue she didn’t really care about being on time so there was no point in changing. I think that is part of why many people don’t care about he aha moment. They just don’t care

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  2. There’s a saying that goes “Failing to prepare is preparation for failure” and I do believe that, to a certain extent. There are routines I abide by because they work for me. There’s no reason to stray from something that works.

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  3. I have the same dishwasher routine. My last question every night is, “Do you have any dirty dishes in there?” (“There” being the den). I swear at least once a month I find a glass beside his chair the next morning even if his answer had been ‘no.’ I seldom feel violent, but it’s a close call on those occasions.

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    1. Me too. I don’t know what it is with dishwashers.

      For me, the last person in the kitchen should turn it on. It is rarely me, I don’t snack after dinner.

      But the worst thing is for me as an early riser finding a full but unwashed dishwasher at 6am.

      Now…all the dishes get piled on the counter throughout the morning and that counter is in my line of vision when I write/work…Ugh.

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    1. I figure this. If I have routines for the stuff that must get done, and it saves me time, then I have more time to do other things I enjoy more, like reading or walking with my dog, or cooking

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  9. Entrepreneur’s motto is A place for everything and everything in it’s place. Sometimes it drives me a bit crazy since I tend to embrace the chaos…..for a little while….but will eventually get on an organization kick. It sounds a bit odd coming from someone who spent decades in the deadline-driven advertising industry! Maybe the pendulum swung back too far the other way? I used to have a sign above my desk that read, A clean desk is the product of a frightened mind. 😆 The other odd thing was I knew where everything was on my desk! But, I agree streamlining routines can be very comforting and be a way to feel in control….even when we know we can’t control everything! 💜

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    1. I think some people can function really well with controlled chaos, others can’t. I was not organized when I was younger and it caused issues. When I got to my first job I realized how much being organized made things better. If there was an issue, there were things I didn’t have to worry about because the process was seamless. My husband spends half his day asking “where is….” because he’s a rusher….he rushes to get things “done” but leaves out/forgets things

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    1. Ahhh…honestly it’s because I know myself and my limits. I am a morning person so I can the hard stuff out if the way by 3/4 pm because I’m most productive between 7am and 2pm. I try to structure my day. Also, having routines makes most things seamless. I do laundry on the same days every week, I have a cleaning schedule, I plan menus for the week. And cause it’s quarantine I wear the same three shorts every day…

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      3. We live in organized clutter, that at times gets the best of me, because my wife only likes to vacuum…Now and again. Although she does tackle the bathroom and I the kitchen. We just don’t do things enough I feel. We don’t entertain pretty much ever even in normal times which is most likely the reason for the clutter.

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      4. We used to have a cleaning person every other week to really scour the place. Now my husband takes the bathroom and I do the kitchen, and the general upkeep.

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  11. I totally embrace planning. That is how I can get so much done. Yes, I plan a week of meals. How do you go to the store without a list? I wash towels Monday and Thursday. I have a good routine going. The rest of the family… not so much. Maybe my level of organization makes it so they don’t have to prep so much. I hate when my family complains about how I do things too. It’s kind of funny your husband broke a dish. It’s one of those I told you so moments. How much do you dislike how I do things now?? I totally get it!!

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    1. That was exactly it! I hate the I told you so, but yeah….there’s a method to my madness. I’ve made mistakes and errors and I figure out how to reduce my chances of making them again. It’s not flawless, but it definitely diminishes the amount of stupid mistakes

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  14. I love plans, planning, strategy, visioning…all of it. Yet, for me, one of the keys to understanding myself in relation to my plans is that, they can, maybe even often, go awry. And, that’s okay. It’s a paradox and not. When we can have a plan, stick to it, and pivot as needed, and be okay with that, it is freeing. I think one of the reasons people don’t like a plan, or to plan, is that they have a hard time holding themselves accountable to the plan, or, they get frustrated when the plan does not go as planned. That was fun. One more note. In our family, we have two planners, and two, well, non planners. An interesting dynamic.

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  15. I’m a planner in all things, people like to heckle me because I make them anxious with all my lists! I say, “you’re welcome,” when the grocery stores ran out of toilet paper, popcorn, and disinfectant. Here’s to the planners! C

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    1. 100%. My husband will mock me as I’m finding whatever it is that he lost. Plus, once your routine becomes ingrained, it gives you so much more time to think about other things….oh wait…maybe that’s not such a good thing

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  21. You are singing my song!
    In the big wide world, there are things that simply cannot be planned for, but by planning (having a routine for, etc.) the small things we create order in which most of us actually do thrive, and systems for simpler living.
    I’m so disappointed your new dish broke. Dishes are some of my favoite things.
    I’m curious if this event was the opening for you to do the dishwasher every day again?

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