We’ve all heard the adage, “Fail to plan, plan to fail”. I was reminded last weekend just how important planning is if I want peace in my life. While I would love to blame everyone else, it’s very often because 1. I just haven’t allocated enough time to our pre-departure preparation needs. This is what my husband refers to as, “screw-up time” &/or 2. I haven’t really planned out how everything is going to be executed.

Rushing triggers very bad behavior in me; mainely sarcasm, “Is this the first time you’ve had lacrosse practice on a Monday?” but also raising my voice, which I don't like to do. I have, on many occasions, just left children behind if they’re not ready in time (and are of an appropriate age to be left home alone...of course.) But, in order to implement that natural consequence, everyone needs to know the plan ahead of time in order to be set up for success.

So many wonderful things happen in my day if I take the time to plan. I get to the gym, I know what I’m going to eat, what I’m going to wear, what I’m going to do and when I’m going to do it….it’s just sometimes, Mama feels too flippin’ tired to lay out the clothes for the next day or make sure we know how everyone is getting to their activities. But, there has NEVER been a time when I have regretted taking those few moments to collect myself before the next day or before a busy weekend. It’s just another one of those things that I have to remember I’m doing FOR myself, not TO myself.

A friend of mine has a great saying that’s helped me out a lot. I was able to change a few words around to adapt it to our lives:

Not planning is easy, but it makes life hard.
Planning is hard, but it makes life easy.

Whether I’ve got the busiest day in the world or it’s just another Friday, I can be saved from a lot of unneeded, self-inflicted, ‘Calgon take-me-away’ chaos just by taking time to take care of myself with a little planning.

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