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There’s No Substitute for _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
By Daryl Hoole

We all know how to fill in the blank. Either you’re prepared, or you’re not. There is nothing that replaces preparation.

A story is told about a man who wanted to hire an office boy. He posted a notice in the town newspaper and the following day there was a large group of boys waiting at his door in response to the ad.

“Well, my lad,” said the man to one who appeared to be a good prospect. “You’ve seen the long line of boys outside waiting for this job. Is there any particular reason why you should have the job?”

“Yes, sir,” replied the boy. “I’m the only one who brought his lunch.”

He got the job.

The Scout motto, “Be Prepared,” has important application in each of our lives. Certainly as wives and mothers, being prepared pays big dividends in our homes and in our lives.

Following are a few guidelines about preparation, accompanied by real life examples:

Plan ahead

• When as I was serving with my husband as he presided over the Netherlands Amsterdam Mission, it wasn’t unusual for a young missionary to approach me at a zone conference, complain of a headache and ask if I had some Tylenol. I would inquire as to the cause of the headache. Invariably the elder or sister would say, “Well, I didn’t have any breakfast this morning and so I’ve developed this headache.”

Then I would ask, “How come you missed breakfast? Are you out of money?” The answer would almost always be, “No, not that. We just didn’t have anything in the apartment to eat.”

Missionaries are young and inexperienced and life is teaching them self-management skills and self-reliance. They soon learn to keep their cupboards stocked. Sometimes we as adult homemakers slip a little and need to be reminded: If you knew yesterday that your family would be hungry today, you would want to be prepared ahead by having food supplies in the house.

Another one, If you knew yesterday that your family would need clean clothing today, you would want to be prepared by keeping up with the laundry.

• I mentioned to a friend that I was writing an article on “preparation” for my Meridian column and asked what advice she would offer. Her immediate response was: “Keep batteries on hand.”

• When the day has been especially busy and the dinner hour is rapidly approaching, a sense of relief is mine when I’ve planned ahead with food in the refrigerator that is oven-ready or dinner has been simmering in a crock-pot most of the day.

• I agree with whoever first said, “In order to keep Sunday holy, we must keep Saturday hopping.” It’s wonderful to greet the Sabbath with clothing clean and pressed, hair shampooed, church clothes laid out, and food for dinner prepared in advance.

Work ahead of, rather than behind, yourself

• A neighbor summed up my experience exactly when she declared, “The closer to 6:00 a.m. I get up, the more successful is my day.” (I’m convinced of the truth of the old adage: An ounce of morning is worth a pound of afternoon.)

• For me, I find that if I don’t get dressed first thing every morning, then suddenly the hours have raced by and I’ve been interrupted by family members and the phone and it’s mid-morning and I’m still running around in my exercise clothes (or pajamas!). Such attire tends to impede my progress and makes me feel sloppy, which affects my productivity as well as my attitude.

• It’s helpful to have dishes clean and the dishwasher unloaded before dinner so a cluttered counter top and a pile of dishes in the sink do not hinder the cleanup, and before your helpers have disappeared. Smart use of the dishwasher is a key to a smoothly running kitchen.

Do anything ahead that can be done ahead

• In keeping appointments, it works best for me to change my clothes and dress for the occasion an hour or so before the time. In this way, I’m in better control of the situation so that a last-minute interruption or an unexpected delay can be dealt with and I’m still able to be on time for the appointment.

• It’s smart to wrap gifts and prepare cards and notes well in advance of the occasion, thereby avoiding a last-minute scramble that could make you late for the party.

• When promising to loan someone a book or some other item, or there’s something I want to return to the store, I promptly place it in the trunk of my car so to avoid the risk of forgetting it later.

Set a goal and think backwards

• If you want a big production—an important dinner, a party, a heavy assignment—to be carried out successfully, it can be helpful to focus on the deadline (mentally or written down) and then think backwards as to what steps need to be taken to reach your goal.

For every minute spent in preparation and organization an hour is earned.

• For me, if my bathroom and dressing area are organized with regard to toiletries, makeup, and clothing, I can cut my dressing time to a bare minimum.

• When trying to locate important papers, you’ll either have a search or a system. For example, a good system for storing your recipes means that you can quickly locate the recipe and have the dish prepared, whereas if you’re less efficient you might waste the time sifting through a pile of papers.

An ounce of evening is worth a pound of morning

• For a good start the next day, prepare the evening before by laying out your children’s clothing, putting up lunches, gathering school supplies and loading backpacks. It’s a good idea to run and then unload the dishwasher for a quick reloading after breakfast.

• The Sunday morning routine of getting the family ready for church goes much smoother and happier if you’ve packed the “church bag” with your scriptures, the lesson manual, supplies for the baby and whatever else you need the night before.

Avoid management by crisis

• It’s by planning ahead that you can avoid doing one thing at the expense of something else. For instance, advance planning and preparations can eliminate frenzied activity and short tempers during the busiest hours of the day: early morning, after school, and dinner time.

• A neighbor who often lives in default mode remarked, “My husband has never known what it’s like to wear a cool shirt.”

In conclusion, it’s when your life is in control through good personal management and preparation that you are the most free to serve others. I love the charming story about a ninety-year-old lady who was a devoted visiting teacher throughout her life. She was known for donning an apron as she left the house to go visiting, saying: “If I find that help is needed, I’m ready to get right to work.”

Organize yourselves, prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house
of glory, a house of order, a house of God.

D&C 88:119 (emphasis added)

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Daryl Hoole has written and lectured extensively on home management and family living. She authored six books, including the long-term, best-selling The Art of Homemaking. Recently her new book The Ultimate Career — The Art of Homemaking for Today was published and is being enthusiastically received. She has been in demand as a speaker for women’s groups throughout the United States and Canada and has spoken at Education Weeks for over twenty-five years. She has served in all the Church auxiliaries and was a member of the Primary General Board. She fulfilled two missions to The Netherlands, once when her father was mission president and later when her husband presided over that mission. In addition, she and her husband recently served a third mission in Asia as area welfare-humanitarian administrators, based in Hong Kong. Daryl and her husband, Hendricus (Hank), are the parents of eight living children and the grandparents of thirty-six.

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