Junk in the Trunk

Life Problem

I live in Florida which automatically equals many days of sunshine and pure bliss. These days often involve random trips to the beach or picnics at a local park/nearby lake. I cannot tell you how many times I have jumped into my car and headed for the great outdoors- "must get away from it all". I reach my destination only to find that the grass is wet, birds have dookied on the picnic table, and I have no sunscreen on my face (I am pale so this is a very big deal). OH, and I have nothing to do but play with my phone. Booooooringgggg. 

Recently I vowed to stop this never ending cycle of insanity. I put my foot down and created this beaut! For now, I call it my "Junk in the Truck" car kit. Awesome, right?

Many of these items seen in this picture you probably already own. And the ones you don't, just go ahead buy. I promise you will use them- therefore this purchase is necessary. Of course, your "Junk in the Trunk" car kit might end up looking a little different than mine, but hey, we are different people- so no judging on this one. 

For Starters

You need trunk space. Not much space is needed, but a clearing off to the side would be ideal. This may mean that you carve out some time to wash and vacuum your baby. I know it's painful. But lets be real, a good wash and vacuum have been on your to-do list for a while anyways. Just do it. You too will live.

While you are suffering through the cleaning part, start thinking about where you normally find yourself on weeknights or weekends. Do you fly solo? Or normally meet up with a friend? Do you like to read? Or do you prefer a little more action? Personally, I like it all. As much as I love my friends, I also love to be alone. As much as I love to play catch, I love to read a good book. BAM! 

My Junk 

- I love the sun, however the sun does not love me. The idea of pouring warm, soupy sunscreen on my body just doesn't sit well, and I have never been one to risk storing spray bottles of any sort in a car that reaches 110 degrees in the summer. Can anyone say bang? A hat/visor and cheap pair of sunglasses will have to do!

- I can't tell you how many times I have left work on my lunch break, and am dying to walk around the lake only to realize that I'm in heels. Fail. Not any more because my extra pair of flip-flops are always to the rescue! 

- I head to the great outdoors by myself as often as I head out with someone else. It didn't seem right to just pack a book, although it was completely necessary. I wanted to make sure that I was ready for action if need be! What better than a frisbee or a flying disk? Again, Florida weather is not very wise to keep inflated balls in your trunk. Say bang again.... this is what happens when you keep a soccer ball in your trunk, in Florida, in summer. I picked this flying disk up at Target for a dollar. Yay for the dollar spot!

- Not a frisbee fan? Target was selling these adorable velcro mit and ball sets for just 4 bucks! It's perfect. You won't break any car windows or anyone's face. 

- Who likes to sit on a damp patch of grass? You wont get me or my undies! Try packing an old blanket/towel or investing in a more waterproof friendly picnic blanket. My mother-in-law gave this to me as a gift and I use it all the time! I think she actually found it at Sams Club for 15 dollars... gotta love those warehouse stores.

- What do you do with all of those extra Publix plastic bags? Recycle them of course! Right into your car kit. You never know when you're going to need a good ol' platic bag. They work well for picking up dog poop, holding wet clothes, or for putting actual trash in. I decided to keep my bags in this cute plastic container for the dollar store. I jazzed it right up with a sheet of mustache duct tape from Jo-Ann's! 

- When your at the Dollar Store next time, I would recommend picking up a few $1 picnic table cloths. No more will you have to eat on top of bird dookie. I said no more. 
**PS: they also work as great "water resistant" barriers for your old towel or blanket. 

- A few other suggestions: card games, paper towels, a craft (like knitting), a koozie, hand sanitizer, first aid kit, etc etc.   

Ok, now that you have found/purchased your items of awesomeness, you need something to contain all of it. I found this big plastic container at Target for 6 dollars. It was love at first sight! Lightweight. Flexible. Green. Two handles. Flat bottom. And most importantly, big enough to hold all my stuff! Looks like I am about to have one awesome summer... wishing you one too!

Lead Them

By Example

Half of my staff was graduating. They were leaving. I had hired them and had trained them. I had worked with them and supervised them for over 2 years. They were more than my staff, they had become dear friends. I was not having an easy time saying goodbye. Then, a few days ago, I received this picture from one of my former students. I was so touched that these three, once strangers, had become so close that they had their names stamped on a "graduation brick" together.  It got me thinking. And as a result, you now have this post to read!

We have all had "that" job. The one where you look at your boss and think, how did you get here? The one you look at and say, what do you even mean by that? You wonder why small things are a BIG deal and why BIG things are ignored. If you haven't had any of these questions before then you fall into one of two groups of adults: you have never worked -or- you have been blessed to have the best job with the best boss with the best business process ever. If either of those are you, I offer my congratulations. Sincerely. Not even jealous. 

For the rest of us worker bees out there I probably haven't even touched your emotional tip of this iceberg. High volume, expectations of perfection, political correctness, low budgets, and unpaid overtime all feed the monster that has become the American workplace. So what do you do as a supervisor when you are thrown into the mess and asked to make sense of it all? 

I remember sitting in my 1/2 cubicle- nope, not even a full one folks- after a recent promotion asking myself that very same question. I knew more responsibility, longer hours, and an increased staff size was headed my way as soon as HR processed my forms. And I knew HR could make it all go quick if they wanted to. Like same day quick. So, I put on my game face and decided to start thinking small. Really, really small. I am not a genius boss lady and I don't have all the answers, so don't even waste your time going there with your thoughts in thinking that I think that I could run a major company without a problem. I'm only twenty-something. I understand there is a whole lot left to be learned. It's just that over the past two years I have had the privilege of seeing first hand, how thinking small (in a world where we are always forced to think BIG) makes all the difference. And so I wanted to share with you!

Thinking small is the key. As a supervisor you must find the time in your busy day to think of people as people. Shocking right? Contrary to popular belief, I believe that the workforce is made up of moms who maybe want to be a mom, husbands who maybe want to be home for dinner, and young adults who maybe look to network and grow professionally "outside" of the office. With this belief in mind I set out on a quest to get to know my staff. Another shocker, right? I let them each make a list of places in North Florida they wanted to visit, places they wanted to eat, evenings or weekends that they had available and then we made it happen. Events weren't mandatory, and I never expected everyone to make it. It was amazing to see how only a few showed up to our first go at it, and then a few more to our next, and then the whole staff to the next! From Rattlesnake Roundup to dinner at BurgerFi to Painting with a Twist we CHOSE to have a blast together at least once a month (at least I hope they had a blast!). These events allowed me to see how my staff interacted with each other and helped me to learn about their dreams and goals. None of which were to stay working with my section in the long run. And you know what, that was just fine with me. They knew I was just thankful to have them for as long as they would give me. And so far, each one of them has given me more time than I ever expected!

Thinking small is the key. Every four months I make the time to meet with my staff personally in a 1on1 setting. We leave the office and go for a walk normally ending up at Starbucks, my treat. This is a purposeful hour of my 1on1 undivided attention where questions about work and life can be asked. Honest conversation is had. Disappointments are shared. And some really good suggestions about how I should be running things better have been provided. I get to offer my honest feedback about my expectations, about their achievements, and about their failures. It is something I look forward to all 4 months long- every 4 months. These times have been so precious to me and have given such invaluable insight into the nitty gritty of what makes the BIG picture in my section work so seamlessly. I take what they say seriously and they know I will take what they say seriously. 

Thinking small is the key. You cannot just bust out with a great big idea and expect others to fall at your feet in awe. BIG ideas start small. They start with the invaluable insight gained from a trusted staff and grow through research into a display that cannot be argued. It can still be ignored, but not argued - and those are two very different things. The goal is to make your staff members feel valued. No one likes to work in an atmosphere of invalue. Even if you can't find the money to give them, a raise or a bonus, or even a free-be day off- you can make them feel valued. A staff that feels valued will be there to support you, even when no one else does. It is truly an amazing feeling! 

If you refuse to think small you will suffer BIG. I watch it happen every day. Although you may not be able to control the world around you, the expectations set on you, or the work load provided to your desk, you can choose to create the best staff possible. At the end of the day, I know I can trust my team to do what I ask them to do. They are simply awesome, and I know I would have crumpled a long, long time ago without their support and hard work. I can only hope that I given them as much insight as they have given me. Congrats to my Class of 2014!