Preparing for a peaceful morning

It’s 8:00 pm, and a sink full of dirty dinner dishes is staring me in the face. Every fiber of my being is resisting the task in front of me. The excuses for avoiding the work come easily:

 “I’m exhausted”

“I’ll get up early tomorrow and take care of it” (wishful thinking)

“My bathtub and novel are calling my name”

Honestly, there are plenty of times when I’ve given in, experiencing that instant but fleeting relief of avoidance. Other times, however, I catch myself and pause (1…2…3) before throwing in the towel. I think ahead to the morning, imagining myself waking up to a chaotic kitchen and adding all the breakfast pans and plates to that clutter. I take a breath, cue up my current audiobook, and fill the sink with hot, soapy water.

 Once I get started, the momentum kicks in, and twenty minutes later, the counters are cleared, and the dishwasher is loaded. While I’m at it, I prep the coffee and sweep the floor. I give thanks for this small yet impactful victory over my resistance to what is peaceful and productive.

Doing the dinner dishes when you’re spent is hard. Starting a new day stressed by mess and disorganization is also hard. As they say, we must choose our hard and control the things we can control, becoming proactive about seeking peace and pursuing it.  

Intentional living is all about preparing for peace by remaining mindful of the significance of our daily choices. A purposeful evening routine, for instance, creates better sleep and a calm start to a new day. Here are three examples of intentional evening habits that fuel our bodies, minds, and souls with light and energy:

1. Anticipate your morning needs the night before

Were you hoping to get in a morning workout? Lay out your workout clothes before going to bed! Are you bringing your own lunch to work? Pack it the night before! Reflect on the morning stressors that most commonly sabotage your health and peace and devise solutions to make you feel calmer and more optimistic. Put your car keys on the key hook, iron that shirt, throw a healthy snack in your bag. Your morning self will thank you for it!

2. Review your planner

After dinner, look at your planner. What meetings and appointments do you have scheduled? What are your dinner plans? Where can you fit in some movement, prayerful stillness, or a few minutes of decluttering or organizing? This one habit, perhaps more than any other, will transform your life by reducing decision fatigue, helping you set and achieve goals, and enabling you to live out your deepest values daily.

3. End each day with prayer and gratitude

Hitting your pillow with a head full of anxious and noisy thoughts makes for fitful sleep and despairing perspectives. In the evenings, become more intentional about feeding your mind and soul with goodness and light, psalms and thanksgiving, and inner quiet and receptivity to Christ’s loving and stabilizing presence, which promotes rest and rootedness.

Stay vigilant, my friends! Protect your hearts from turmoil and your days from chaos and distractedness. This is the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it! Do the next right, fruitful, light-filled thing with faith and love!