Don't Steal From Your Evening to Prepare For Your Morning

I am not a morning person!  I like to BE up early, but I don't particularly like to GET up early!  Because of that, my mornings go much more smoothly when everything is ready the night before.  Getting into a habit of preparing for the next day the night before was one of the single biggest boosts to my productivity! 

When I was primarily working from home this spring, evening prep was pretty simple - a list of my most important tasks for the next day and sometimes I laid out a letter that needed to go to the mailbox.  Since it didn't really matter what I wore and I didn't need to pack a lunch, there really wasn't that much to it.  Don't get me wrong, doing that little bit of prep for the next day still went a long way, but it wasn't as critical as I knew it would be when I was back to working in my office most of the time.  To set myself up for a successful transition, I really embraced evening prep - almost too much because soon it felt like my evenings were focused around tomorrow.  

That first week back to the office exhausted me.  Between working the same full day, commuting,  wearing office appropriate attire, showering EVERY DAY, fixing my hair and makeup,  packing up my breakfast, snacks and lunch,  preparing my work supplies, not to mention trying to spend quality time with my family - it was exhausting!  I was trying extra hard to make everything run smoothly, so I was spending 30-60 minutes preparing every detail of my morning the night before. I felt robbed of my evenings and the time with my family, so I decided something had to change!

There were two key areas I identified as time suckers, and I made a plan to fix them!

Food
I am on a mission to get healthier and slimmer by the time I turn 40, so I take my breakfast, snacks and lunch with me everyday.  For breakfast I make a protein shake, snacks are usually fruit, nuts, cheese, and lunch may be leftovers or a salad.  Previously, I was spending a good 30 minutes an evening preparing food.  I analyzed my evening food prep routing, and found the areas that were taking the longest and came up with ideas to streamline the process:

• Cleaning and cutting fruits and veggies

Now I clean and cut up enough fruits and veggies for the entire week on Sunday.  Batching the task saves time overall! 

• Putting food into smaller containers

On Sundays, I put snacks in smaller containers all at the same time.  This could include a baggie of veggie chips, small containers of ranch dip or peanut butter, or a serving of fresh cherries in a plastic container.  I store all the pre-divided portions together in the refrigerator in a clear plastic bin so it's easy to grab and go.

• Avoiding using and cleaning the blender

This was by far my biggest win!  I make a breakfast protein shake every morning (get the recipe and directions at the end of this post!)  I used to put all the ingredients in and then use the immersion blender to mix it up.  I would then have to wash it right away to avoid it getting really gross and sticky.  I realized this blending and cleaning was what was taking the longest, so I did an experiment to see if I could puree all the fruit ahead of time and simply use a shaker bottle to mix up the ingredients.  I was skeptical because that protein powder tends to clump up, but to my delight and surprise - it worked!  I found that 1 cup of clean, sliced fresh fruit equals about 2/3 cup of fruit puree.  Now each morning I just add that to my almond milk, protein powder and chia seeds, put in the shaker ball and shake!  That's it - no muss no fuss, and SO much faster!

• ​Not wasting time washing dishes

​I also used to waste time washing the containers I wanted to take food in the next day.  I only had one shaker cup, so I had to wash it every day.  I only had one container of the right size for my salad that fit in my lunchbox, so I also washed it every evening.  I solved these things very simply: I bought a second shaker cup so one can be washing in the dishwasher while the other is in use.  I started washing out my salad container at work after lunch.   Since I also prepack all my smaller snacks, there is no time wasted on dishes in my daily routine!

I now pack my lunchbox immediately after I empty it.  I make my shake the night before as well and just shake it up before I drink it the next day.  I've gone from 30 minute lunch prep to less than 10

Clothes
I lay my entire outfit the night before - complete with jewelry, shoes - everything.  I used to do it right before bed.  First I would have to look at my calendar to see what was going on the next day so I dressed appropriately.  Then I'd pick something out, find all the coordinating accessories, and a good 15-20 minutes later, get to bed.  I wanted to get more sleep, so I decided to try to win back those few minutes before bed.

Now I pick out my clothes for the next day as soon as I change out of my work clothes, which is usually very soon after I walk in the door.  Since I'm already in my closet hanging up clothes or putting them in the hamper, it makes sense to just grab an outfit for tomorrow right then.  Because I always look at my calendar for the next day before I finish my workday, I can skip that step since it's fresh in my mind.  By the time I'm in my comfy walking clothes, I am done preparing for the next day!  

Try It!
Your pain points may not be the same as mine, but take some time to think through your routine and identify what is taking you the longest or what frustrates you about your morning or evening routine.  Think about the problem and how you would tell someone else to solve it.  Track your time savings and celebrate the extra time in your evening - and spend it well!

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Quick and Easy Protein Shake

• 8-10 oz. Almond Milk (I like Aldi Unsweetened Vanilla)
• Protein Powder (I like plant based vanilla or chocolate)
  
• 1 cup fresh fruit (equals 2/3 pre-pureed fruit)
  
• 2 Tbsp Chia Seeds (can substitute flax seed)
  

Puree all the fruit you will need for the week ahead of time and store in airtight container in the refrigerator.

The night before combine almond milk, fruit puree, protein powder, and chia seeds in a shaker cup, put in the shaker ball, and SHAKE!  Store in the refrigerator and shake well before drinking.