Inspiration for this group of articles (listed below) comes from Jack Canfield’s bestseller – How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. I am taking the principles from the book and applying them to life as a parent.

I find that I function much better when I’m a step ahead, and apparently it’s not just me, one of the most powerful tools of high achievers is planning their day the night before. Here is how I am currently *trying* to stay one step ahead;

Organising My Day The Night Before

In fact I plan about a week in advance and then tweak things as I go along.

Meal Planning

I have meal planned for as long as I can remember. I note down all the nice recipes and dinner ideas I see in my diary – one for each weekday, on the weekends we have ‘free’ meals which we choose and buy produce for on the day.

I order the week’s food online on a friday and it arrives on a monday morning. I have been using this system for several years and I find it’s definitely the most efficient for us.

Food

Most people herald batch cooking as a great way to stay ahead but I’m pretty fussy and like to eat fresh food. I find that if I have all the ingredients on hand this isn’t a problem. In general we eat simple meals like marinated grilled meat with pasta or salad, pasta bolognese, or chicken skewers with salad. Dinner rarely takes more than 20 minutes to prepare.

Erin eats what we eat wherever possible, but I have some frozen homemade alternatives if we’re having something she can’t eat.

Birthdays & Christmas

I usually do my christmas shopping in Novemeber so we can do crafts and christmassy things during December. I start thinking about and buying birthday gifts about three or four weeks in advance so there’s no last minute rush.

What are your tips for staying one step ahead?

Other Articles in the Series:

Compartmentalizing Time
Remember Your Purpose Outside of Parenting
Aim High
Get Organised

2 Responses to “Be One Step Ahead”

1. t-bird says:

   May 16, 2007 at 4:29 am

   hang up sets of clothes that match so if you need a quick flit in the morning you just grab 1 hanger and have the lot ready for you. If I know I’m going to be really busy i hang underwear on the hanger too!

   Likewise for your daughter, especially once she is bigger and wants to dress herself, if there is a small choice of sets all ready for her she can have the “power” of being able to chose her clothes but not then be puzzling about what knickers match with that particular skirt (and yes, we HAVE had melt downs in this house when I’ve expected her to just put any knickers on rather than carefully chosen matching ones!)
2. Little Mummy says:

   May 16, 2007 at 5:40 am

   Great idea, everything on one hanger, I’ll definitely use that when Erin’s at school, if not before.