We’re not ones for putting on airs, but we came across an idea lately that has us thinking about fine dining.

In French, it’s mise en place. (To get kind of close, you can say it like “mee zon ploss.”) For those who aren’t in the know, mise en place is French for “sort the buckets.”

Just kidding.

It’s a culinary term for “gathering” or “putting in place.” It’s the practice of preparing the kitchen workspace before service begins. You organize the ingredients. You put together what you’ll need at arm’s reach, and you tidy away what you won’t need for a while.

It can refer to the time you put into the process, and it can refer to the state of mind you get into.

Sound familiar? When we work on your financial plans and planning, we have called this process “sorting the buckets.” (Now, say it again with a French accent!) We take stock of our resources and arrange by time horizon. What do I need now? What will I need later?

What am I low on? What could use some tidying up? Sometimes even a quick review and a few small moves can make a world of difference. More things become possible with a little organization—and a little space to work.

There’s a certain calm afforded us when we know how we’re going to pay the bills, where we would go in an emergency, and what we can turn toward for the future.

That’s “sorting the buckets.” That’s mise en place.

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