Don’t lean, clean!

This post is by Erin Thorne. I, like many teenagers, first entered the workforce via the avenue of the fast food industry. It was a hectic environment in which employees hustled to take food orders and speedily deliver bags and trays of greasy goodness to hungry customers. We were especially busy during the breakfast, lunch, and dinner rushes. Once the hubbub had died down, there was an overall tendency to mill around and goof off.

One manager in particular had a personal vendetta against this kind of behavior. In her mind, it reflected poorly upon the establishment, and upon herself as a taskmaster. It simply wouldn’t do for us to lack a productive occupation. She had a mantra which she encouraged us all to repeat: “Don’t lean, clean.”

At first, it irritated us to no end. We couldn’t take so much as a five minute breather; sure enough, this woman would swoop in and attack our indolence with her motto. I didn’t see the wisdom and practical application of this saying until many years later, when I applied it in a broader sense to my writing career.

Of course, I didn’t take the maxim literally; I abhor housework as much as anyone. I seized the spirit of it, the admonition to take advantage of one’s downtime instead of using it to lounge about. This comes in handy when I’m not sure how to move my protagonist from point A to point B in my work, when I’m stuck between plot highlights, or when I only have a small amount of time at my disposal.

I have a day planner with all of my tasks, large and small, penciled into their appropriate boxes. In the event that I have a few (or several) idle minutes, I take a peek at my datebook and check it for upcoming obligations. Often, I’ll find something in there which grabs my attention – a batch of press releases that must be sent to promote a future appearance, or perhaps someone whom I need to contact. On those occasions when writer’s block rears its ugly head, it’s helpful to do other things that are just as essential as the creation of new works.

In this way, I’m able to alleviate the feeling that I’m not achieving anything that day, in spite of the absence of inspiration. Frustration and unproductiveness are banished; impending duties are fulfilled prior to their assigned deadlines, and when I’m finally ready to sit down and write again, I can do so with the knowledge that I’ve used the interlude for my own benefit.