Tidy as You Go

It’s the only way to keep on top of things.

I once went to a local restaurant and bar to have dinner with my husband. That night the place was very crowded and we opted to sit at the bar to have our dinner. Little did I know that we would enjoy a most enlightening “floor show.”

There was only one barmaid on that shift that night. Her duties were to keep the bar surface clean of used bottles, glasses, cutlery, plates and napkins. She also set places with trays, mats and cutlery for each newer diner and served them their meals when they were delivered from the kitchen.

In addition to these activities she was the bartender for the entire restaurant. Each server would deliver their respective orders and she then made each drink and set them up on a tray for delivery.

Sounds like you would get tired just watching her, right? Well, on the contrary, she was a joy to watch. Every movement she made was coordinated with another task to be accomplished. She would pick up used items with one hand and wipe the counter with the other. As she moved past any area she assessed it, did what was needed and fluidly moved on to the next thing. No server was left standing at the drink ordering area unnoticed. Everything was cleaned and tidied with as little extra movement than necessary.

If we could all be so focused, things would always be as they should be.

I think she was naturally organized and very competent. The next time you are in a space and you see something out of place, put it away. Small changes make big differences. Clutter is made up of little things that belong somewhere else. If you sweep an area and put it right every time you are there, it will most likely stay that way.