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Why Bother Making a Great Day?

Why Bother Making a Great Day?

Growing up in a large household was chaotic at times. But Dad always brought order into our lives. He was a business manager and understood how to direct, command, and oversee employees as well as his children.  

One thing he instilled in us was to always be ready for the new day by preparing ourselves the night before. Whether it was laying out our clothes, gathering our school books, or lining up lunch sacks on the kitchen counter waiting to be filled,  getting ready for the next day before it arrived made for a great day.

Thinking Ahead

The famous artist, Van Gogh, is noted for having said that great things are done by a series of small things brought together. Though we may never become renowned for anything grand, putting the small things of our lives into place prepares us for a new day making it possible for it to be a great day.

In all honesty, I prepare for my great days by setting things in order on the weekends. I draw up a rough draft of the meals I want to cook, write a grocery list around the needed ingredients and my husband, the designated shopper, brings home the goods. Then I take Sunday afternoon and spend it in the kitchen doing a little prep work for the meals I will be cooking in the week ahead. This time is well spent saving me from having to wonder what I’ll be cooking for dinner or what I can take to work for lunch. I’ve already thought those things through and I’m prepared, ahead of time.

I am not obsessed about my routines, but I do know the value of establishing a regular way of doing something. I still lay out my clothes before going to bed at night. In this way I can make sure that the zipper in my skirt is working, that all the buttons are still on my blouse and there are no stains on the sweater. I don’t have time to stand in my closet and wonder what I will be wearing the next day. I cannot try on an outfit first thing in the morning to see if it still fits, and I sure don’t have time to sew a button back on anything. The best thing about establishing and keeping our routines is that they free us from the tyranny of the urgent. 

Finally, organizing and preparing for a great day sets my mind at ease. Like a pilot or surgeon who checks their checklist before going down the runway or performing a surgery, checking things off my checklist the night before assures me I’ll be clear for  takeoff in the morning. 

Why bother making a great day? We can procrastinate about doing what it takes to make a great day or we can simply do what it takes and make a great day. As always, the choice is ours to make.

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