Whew!
I set up the first rhythm pattern I want to use - say hello to the room, and push GO! After that - it's all a blur. Seems to happen on auto pilot.
The one thing I do consistantly is pick the next BEAT required, and NOT the song. I decide what pulse the room needs and then accociate a tune with that style. If I think in "tune order", I tend to get repettitive. The last word of one song becomes the first word of the next .... you get the idea. Or maybe I play 3 or 4 "Moon" songs in a row with NO regard to genre or tempo .... it's all about the "theme". That's a bad habit, so I try to stay away from too much planning. No set lists, no song lists, no books - just raw energy, confident bravado and lots of "hard knock" experience!
A "seat of yer pants" approach, for sure.