Assemble Ingredients Before Cooking

When I am making a recipe, I get all my ingredients out, and I also get out whatever tools I need to assemble my ingredients.

For example: If I am making meatloaf and mashed potatoes, I preheat my oven, then I get my meat, and breadcrumbs, eggs and spices and put it all in a mixing bowl set in the baking dish. Then I get my potatoes, cream, butter, salt and pepper, and set all that in a large pot, which I set on the cutting board. Then I assemble the ingredients of the meatloaf since that takes longer to cook.

I put it all in the bowl, mix it, shape it and set it in the baking dish. I pop that into the oven with a timer, then I start peeling and rinsing my potatoes. I dice them up on the cutting board, slide them in the pot and fill it with water, and put it on to boil. When the potatoes are done, I drain them, add the salt, pepper, cream and butter to the pot while the potatoes are still draining, I heat them up, add the potatoes and mash. By that time, my meatloaf is done, and all I have to do is serve!