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.

Being a friend takes work and commitment

For some reason, I think most of us believe that being friends should be easy. You almost immediately know when you have made a new friend. You instantly find a straightforward way of communicating. It is effortless.

Yet, as time goes by, we realized that maybe it is not so effortless and we let friendships die a slow death.

Shame on us. Everything is life takes work, sometimes hard work. A good marriage takes a lot of hard work, compromise, communication and forgiveness. Staying healthy takes eating right, seeing doctors and dentists, working out, and getting enough sleep.  Having a nice place to call home takes cleaning, maintenance, and upgrading. We understand this and we make the commitment to do these things because the investments are worth the rewards we receive.

Shouldn't friendship also be worth it? Just because a friendship was super-easy in the beginning, does not mean as time goes by, you don't have to put in the work. 

If you are lucky enough to have a good friend, nurture that relationship. My friends give me so much joy and support. I can't imagine my life without my my friends. I am blessed to have them be a part of my life.

If you haven't worked on your good friendship(s) in a while, you should consider:

• Sending them a note for no reason, letting them know you care.
• Thanking them for sharing their time and energy with you. They could share it with anyone... and yet, they chose you.
• If they are going through some hardship or problem, check in on them often.
• If things are going well for them, check in on them randomly.
• Ask them to dinner or drinks or a walk in the park. They should not always have to do the asking.

It takes effort for all the great things you have in your life. Treat your friends the way you would other important things. The rewards are amazing!