If You’re Leaning…

If you’re leaning, you’re cleaning.  How many times did a parent, teacher or boss tell you this?

My first job out of high school was working in a restaurant. My boss loved that line. If we were standing, waiting for an order, we could be wiping down the counter or refilling water pitchers. As I moved to working in an office environment, I sort of lost this concept.

Jump ahead a few years.  I am sitting in a time management class and the instructor says the same thing.  He is saying we can knock out small tasks and chores, while waiting for our cup of coffee or walking through a room.  He says that using this small amount of time, we can help make larger chores and tasks, much less painful. (Note, I did discuss this a little in my blog, “Two-Minute Rule”, if you feel like you have heard this concept before.)

How do I use this concept to my advantage these days? Here are a few examples.

• I am making coffee, and leaning against the counter. My breakfast dishes are soaking in the sink. I can stand there and daydream and these dishes will still be here later in the day, with lunch dishes added.  Now the chore will take longer and who wants to look at a sink full of dishes.  Or, I can use the coffee brewing time to throw the items in the dishwasher.  Easy and quick win.
• I am walking around the yard, pouring bird seed from the bag, into the feeders. While walking back to the garage to put up the birdseed, I see a stick in the yard.  I can leave it and then spend 30 minutes this weekend picking up all the sticks.  Or, I can pick up the stick and toss it in the yard waste can and then return the bird seed cup to the bucket. If I do this each time I feed the birds that week, I can save myself about 10 minutes this weekend picking up sticks.  I can use that 10 minutes to sit on the porch and enjoy the sunshine.
• I am waiting for my soup to cook for lunch. Again, I can stand and daydream. Or, I can use that time to clean the cat box and give them fresh water. 

I am using oversimplified examples, I know. But, if you are like me and hate wasting time doing chores, shaving a few minutes off each chore or doing them while waiting for something else, helps make them seem less intrusive to my days. This gives me more time to spend with friends, family or cats, which is a much better use of my time.