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What time to wake up
What to wear
What to make for breakfast
What to do with your kids that day
What chores you need to get done
When to get your workout in
What to make for dinner
Everyday we make a lot of decisions, big and small. It can get a little exhausting. There are some days I just want someone to tell me what to do or what to make. I’ve even said these exact words to my husband: “What do you want for dinner? Just make a decision for me. I can’t choose one more thing today.”
Here are 5 ways to avoid some of that decision fatigue.
Set out clothes the night before. If you want to work out, get your clothes, shoes and equipment ready to go. Layout your outfit for the day. You can always pick something different in the morning if you really want to. But if you’re running behind it can be a life saver!
Plan meal ideas. You can go as far as planning exact days or cooking everything ahead of time, or simply writing out some food ideas. I love to look in my fridge and pantry to see what I already have and come up with a list of ideas for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks. From there I can fill in my grocery list with only items that I actually need instead of what sounds good in the moment. Our Intentional Mom Planner has a perfect weekly space for this. It has saved us so much money and instead of standing in front of an open fridge trying to come up with something to eat, you’ll have a whole list of ideas you can choose from and know you have what you need to make them!
Plan fun activities ahead of time. As moms we get busy and sometimes the fun things we want to do with our kids get missed because we get caught doing other tasks. Make a family bucket list! (We have one every month you can print!) A little prep work can make it much easier to actually go sledding or to the park or the museum because the decision has been made and the plan is in motion.
Make master lists for different categories and keep them somewhere for reference. Favorite meals or snacks, family activities, areas in your home to clean, etc. Keep them on a clipboard or folder where you can easily access them when needed and add to them as you think of more ideas. Now all you have to do is pick from the list instead of trying to come up with something off the top of your head.
Create a routine. Every day you wake up at the same time, drink a glass of water, do some reading, plan your day, make breakfast and put a load of laundry in... After school you have a snack ready for the kids, review their day, help with homework, then play outside… Whatever routine looks like for you, it helps to have at least an idea of when things will happen so you have some flow to your day.
