How close is Monday?

The late, great Shari Lewis talked about something she learned from her father. He always said, "The day begins the night before." She went on to say that he was telling her that she had a choice about what the next day would be like, how it would go, by being ready for it—getting a good night's sleep, having her homework done, having everything ready to go in the morning, and so on. By being prepared.

Look at any time management system or process—any one at all, just pick your favorite—the one thing it's sure to say is that you need to take a moment before your day begins (some say the night before, some say first thing in the morning) and get organized: decide what you're going to be doing, what priority each task has, etc.

I used to know someone who would take a few minutes on Sunday afternoon to pick out her work clothes for the week. She'd put together outfits, gather accessories, make sure everything was clean and nothing needed attention, all that. Doing that, she saved herself a little anxiety and probably more than a few minutes each morning that week.

Our house actually faces west but let's just call this morning, shall we?

I like to think of myself as too much of a free spirit to be constrained like that, but the truth is that I've never consistently been that organized. Or, maybe, that motivated.

Fact is, some of us (and I do mean us) work better under a little pressure. And I like to tell myself that I use my free time to rejuvenate. Recuperate. Recharge. And that's how I prepare for the week's stress.

(But I'm afraid the reality is that I just enjoy vegging out in front of the TV a little more than I should.)

When does Monday begin for you? What do you do to prepare for the week?