For the past few weeks, I’ve been working on a surprise party for my daughter. (She turned 17–how is that even possible?) If you’re like me, you can feel organized during the day, but as soon as it’s time to go to sleep, the wheels start turning. “I need to pick up more ice cream. And maybe we need 4 pizzas instead of three? Should I make a salad tomorrow or maybe just a veggie platter?” And on and on. Sound familiar?
What I’ve started doing is writing myself a quick email just before bed. It really only takes about 10 minutes, but I do a “brain dump” of all the details I’m afraid I’ll forget. I prioritize the items if there’s something that’s urgent, but otherwise it’s just a quick reminder list to get everything out of my head so I can get to sleep.
You may find it easier to leave yourself a voice message, or even just take quick notes with paper and pencil. For me, it’s ideal to open my email in the morning and find where my thoughts left off the night before. And it’s reassuring at bedtime to know that I won’t forget what I need to get done the next day.
Do you ever find it hard to get to sleep when you’re planning a project or party (or simply finishing up a day’s work)? How do you help yourself to remember those details so you can unwind?
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