Because I'm a Planner

Before I get started on the topic of this post, I wanted to share this video with you. I came across it yesterday, and Tenth Avenue North is one of my all time favorite bands. As I was listening, I was so encouraged and reminded of the verse John 16:33, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." I was also reminded that this world has nothing real to offer us, and if we live for earthly pleasures, we will be let down time after time. But, if we seek after the cross, we will find redemption, peace, beauty, purpose, and joy in Christ.

Now, onto today's topic: planning.

When it comes to planning, I get a little bit extreme. At any given moment at work, you might find me checking my iCal along with a desk calendar open and my Outlook calendar pulled up. I want to make sure that I have time for everything (since I'm in such high demand...) and if I'm honest, I probably want to have all of my calendars memorized (I know, I've got issues). I can tell you when meetings are, when company holidays are, and I can probably tell you every vacation day I'm taking through the end of 2013. I always have at least one to-do list going, but usually more. I know way too many birthdays, and I have them written down. I know dates for events that are really far in the future, but I've already written them down and memorized them.

Here's why: When I was in high school, I was really involved at student government and clubs. I also traveled with the debate team for a few years and I was on the yearbook staff. By amount mid-sophomore year, my mom got tired of the frantic last minute, "I HAVE TO BE AT SCHOOL IN 20 MINUTES!!!" coming from my room. Since I didn't drive yet, that meant she had to drop everything and get me to where I was supposed to be. We talked about it...and I started planning out my days so that I could tell her when I needed to be where ahead of time. Well, me being the way I am, I couldn't leave it at just a list with dates and times to hand over to my mom. No...I had to dive in head first to being a planner through-and-through. At age 15, I began scheduling out my day by the hour...and sometimes minute. I continued this through most of college. Thankfully, I'm no longer that extreme with a 8-5 job, but I do keep at least two calendars at my fingertips at all times...and most of them are color-coded.

The one thing I've always been really bad at is planning meals. Obviously I depended on my mom for that when I was in high school. In college I had the caf, which was only open during certain hours and was basically built into my day. Before Jason and I got married, I'd go to the store every week, or every other week, and grab some basics and maybe one main recipe to cook. Most of the time that worked out pretty well because I knew at least one dinner would probably be out on date night, and the rest of my dinners were kind of random. That worked for me just fine.

Then, I got married.

Now, I plan meals like I plan the rest of my life: way ahead of time, in bulk, and extreme. Each week I find the recipes I want to use for the next week and make out a list by day. I sit with a calendar in front of me so that I'm able to coordinate (for example, on Tuesdays we have small group, so I usually make a crock-pot meal). After that, I make my extensive grocery list and I hit the grocery store on Sundays. When I get home, I unload the groceries (Jason helps), and I write out our "meal plan" for the week on my college-repurposed dry erase weekly calendar. Whooh...I'm tired just thinking about doing all of that this weekend...and it's only Wednesday.

List of meals for next week. Along with my iPad that has all of my recipes stored in it.

This week.

So, why am I blogging about this? Well, other than the fact that it's probably a not-so-subtle cry for someone to help me learn to go with the flow, I'm really just looking for new ideas. Jason and I try to eat dinner at home about four nights a week. I try to take my lunch to work all five weekdays, and Jason takes his about three days a week. We also both eat breakfast at home. I just need to figure out a better system for grocery shopping and meal planning because four months of this has gotten really exhausting.

How to you grocery shop/meal plan for the week?

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