How to Mise en Place Your Routine

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As anyone who's ever browsed through a Julia Child cookbook knows, mise en place, is a French culinary term for prepping all the ingredients you need for a recipe ahead of time. It means “put in place,” the idea being that when you’re midway through that chicken piccata recipe, you won’t need to stop and chop 2 tablespoons of shallots because they’re already there, in a little bowl, ready for you to toss into a sizzling pan. It's a particularly useful concept in a professional kitchen, where different dishes are being made dozens (or hundreds) of times over the course of a dinner service. The takeaway? Keep everything prepped and organized and it’ll go as smoothly and quickly as possible.

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Well, you can apply that same logic to aspects of your life outside of meal prep. There are little steps you can take now that will help you out later, things you can do at home or at work to stay organized and generally feel more sane about the everyday. The best part is that they don’t have to take longer than 5 minutes. Take some time to do these things the night before and thank yourself—with a pat on the back, a yoga class, or a stiff drink—later.

In the Bedroom

Lay out your clothes. I know, I know, this sounds so elementary school, but raise your hand if deciding what you’re going to wear is an unnecessarily agonizing part of your morning. Now imagine your day without that agony—or even better, a night’s sleep knowing you’ll avoid it when you wake up. Heading to the gym before or after work? Pack that bag, too.

In the Bathroom

Lay out any products, like makeup or toiletries, you know you’ll be using. No, I don’t mean toothpaste your toothbrush the night before, but taking your eye cream and sunscreen out of the cabinet makes them easier to reach for (and remember) after you shower. Bonus points for keeping your regular-use toiletries in an easily accessible place to begin with.

At the Kitchen Table

Setting your table the night before might seem a little extreme outside of Thanksgiving, but if you find yourself with 5 extra minutes in the morning, lay out plates, napkins, and silverware. It doesn’t have to be elaborate or fancy, but it’s one less thing you’ll have to do after work when you’re trying to get dinner on the table.

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At Your Desk

Look at your schedule for the next day and let that dictate what you leave out on your desk the night before. Maybe it’s notes for a meeting, an important brief, or the edited pages of a manuscript (ahem). If it’s the first thing you see when you get in, it’ll save you precious brainpower thinking about what you need to do before the day gets going (and before you’ve had enough coffee to figure it out).

In Your Inbox

If physical things aren’t your thing, go to your inbox at the end of each day. Star any emails that need immediate attention, begin a draft that needs to go out first thing in the morning, and write yourself a little to-do list. What’s tomorrow looking like? Give yourself a plan for the day and it’ll get you going that much faster.

Do you apply any bits of kitchen wisdom to the rest of your life, too? Tell us about it in the comments!