Begin with the end in mind approach to shopping & cooking

Having an idea or a visualisation of where we want to get to can make a big different in most aspects of life. Whether it’s building a house, planning a career or just getting dinner on the table.

Knowing what we want is half the battle.

Which is why I love Habit 2. Begin with the End in Mind.

shopping with the end in mind

I’ve covered different techniques for weekly menu planning and shopping in previous classes. If you’re interested in learning more about this I’d highly recommend exploring the links below.

I mentioned in the video this week, I’m working on a super simple system for weekly menu planning based on how I currently shop.

When I’m not cooking for my blog or cooking school, I rarely shop with a list.

Except to remind me of which pantry items and essentials (loo paper, washing powder etc) I need. For the rest I like to be guided by what looks good on the day. I take a little time to visualise how many dinners I need to shop for and then buy some meat and veg that should cover what we need.

It’s pretty flexible and only takes a minute or two of thought.

Some weeks we end up with too much and others I need to do a little top up because I’ve underestimated. But pretty much that’s all there is to it.

I’m still figuring out how to incorporate recipes into this planning method and translate this ‘system’ into something that anyone can use. Hoping to run a class on this around mid next year so watch this space.

cooking with the end in mind

Before I start to make anything, I always take a few seconds to visualise the dish in my head before I even start chopping.

I find it super useful because that ‘vision’ then guides my decision making when it comes to what to include in the dish, how to serve it, which sides to include, the best presentation techniques. And basically how to get there as quickly and simply as possible.

For you, this may be having a look at the photo that accompanies the recipe you’re about to follow.

More advanced cooks who are going to be tweaking the recipe or even coming up with something completely new, will also benefit from creating a little mental ‘picture’ of their creation before they begin.

More on organising your shopping and weekly menu planning:

§ Video – an overview of planning methods
§ Planning Method – The ‘Same Old, Same Old’ Method
§ Planning Method – The ‘Pre-Planning | List Making’ Method
§ Planning Method – The ‘Market Driven | Wing-It’ Method
§ Planning Method – The ’10 Ingredient | 5 Meal’ Method
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