Today a Whatsapp group called “Pesach 2024” started buzzing with requests for shopping lists and a bunch of “what did we do last year???” messages.

What we did last year: rented a bunch of houses with my husband’s siblings and made a huge Pesach all together. Except we wayyy overbought. I’m the list girl, so I pulled up my Google Doc to check if I had any notes about the quantities.

Wow. I didn’t just have notes.

Mushka of 2023 had pasted messages, typed up store receipts and online invoices, added comments about what was eaten and what was extra… and even written tentative shopping lists for “Pesach 2024.”

Sometimes I just do things that make me sooo grateful to my past self. She's so clever! (I should be as smart as her!)

Planning for “your future self” is something I don’t always remember to do. I’d much rather do busy work, ie procrasti-work. Or do no work at all 😂 But it’s absolutely always worth it.

If you Google it (this article is actually really good), you’ll get classic advice like: save for retirement, eat healthy, exercise, take one action today towards your goal, etc.

I really should save for retirement. And write these emails in advance.

In the meantime, here are some small ways I make life better for my future self:

• Set up the supper table before we leave for the park
• Even better, get supper ready in advance and BRING it to the park
• Do a nightly “kitchen reset” and clean dishes, counters, table and floor before going to bed (this one changed my life)
• Start the washing machine/dishwasher at night
• Pack away kid sunglasses with the summer clothing
• Add any out-of-season sale purchases straight to the seasonal box
• Store the kids’ clothing, in the first place (super handy with 4 boys)
• Book the next dentist appointment 6 months in advance
• Put literally everything into my Google calendar - appointments, reminders, school vacations
• Write down appointment times as 15 minutes earlier so when I come late, I’m actually on time (still surprises me somehow)
• In advance, read up on whatever stage my child is approaching

Feel free to implement any of the above. Or reply and tell me what you do that makes you really appreciate your past self.

Two more ways you can gift your future self:

1. Get ahead of your parenting and learn skills now, while your baby is a baby (my course is for sale as self-study right now)
   2. Join this FREE online workshop series, with various speakers and topics geared to prepare the Jewish woman for Pesach - whether you’re a guest or the hostess. My presentation, called “Creating a Kid-Friendly Seder,” is available this Wednesday! (I’ll email you again about it because it’s too good to miss... actually, scheduling that email right now!)