In The Bag September 2018

In The Bag September 2018

WICHITA’S HANGER

DAVE’S GROWTH STRATEGY

Moving Beyond Checklist Mode

September 2018

“A goal without a timeline is just a dream.” –Robert Herjavec

multiplies toward a stronger family. So that goal shifts to the “goals” column and becomes one of the five goals that you’re going to tackle this quarter. You set a target date for it. When you accomplish it, it shifts over to the “wins” column, and you get to celebrate.

Have you ever felt like you’re stuck in a rut? Each day, you eat breakfast, cram in a workout, shuttle the kids about, do the laundry, pay those bills, get everyone fed before 9 p.m. … and wake up the next day to do it all again. You’re in checklist mode. Three years ago, I was there. I felt like my mindset was stuck in checklist mode at work and at home, and it wasn’t helping me to reach personal or professional goals. What I’ve learned since then has changed the way I set my goals. Instead of going through a checklist, I ask myself whether or not what I’m doing adds value to my long-term goals. Many successful people plan months, years, and even generations into the future to consider what kind of impact their actions today could have on tomorrow. It’s the perspective I adopted to set goals in a more effective way. This goal-setting shift led our team to hone in on our purpose and values. We started to filter everything by asking whether or not they aligned with our core values and other questions to reach the core strategy of what would help us grow. We asked what was motivating to us and what was meaningful. Would these things direct us toward what we wanted to accomplish? This led us to use the “3 m’s” as a requirement for any goal that was put in place. Here’s what that looks like in action: Every quarter, we take all the ideas we have — ways to improve life, work, family relationships — and write them down in an “on deck” column. From there, we decide which of those relate to our core values and strengths, and you test them by asking the 3 m’s: Is it motivational? Is it meaningful? Is it multiplying? For the goals that fit the rubric, they move into the “go time” column. Then, you set a target date and decide how you will celebrate your wins. For example, your goal might be for Mom and Dad to have a date night once a week. Going through the 3 m’s, you determine that it is a meaningful goal, it is motivating, those date nights will multiply and help Mom and Dad have a better relationship, and that bond

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That’s a key part of your goals — choosing how to reward yourself after reaching them. For my team and my family, having a reward in sight at the end is a crucial part of goal-setting. For example, my family has chosen a long weekend trip and a dad-and-daughter day as some of our rewards. At work, we all go out for a nice steak dinner. Why is the reward part so important? I have a friend who works at a big company. When they reach a big goal at work, they spend about two minutes acknowledging what they accomplished. How are you going to stay motivated for the next goal if that’s your only celebration? The celebration is a tangible and meaningful way to connect to your goal.

What’s your goal-setting strategy? Do you celebrate when you reach them? I’d love to hear about how you celebrate your wins!

P.S. I’d love to share our goal-setting strategy with you! Just email owner@ inthebagcleaners.com and we’ll send you a PDF of the 90-day growth goal template.

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Involved But Not Overbearing

Parent-Teacher Etiquette to Support Your Child’s Development

Janet is also sympathetic to clients going through difficult times. She notes, “The hard part is when someone comes in for dry cleaning for a funeral. It’s difficult to tell them to have a great day during a sad time. I try to make everybody feel good, no matter what’s going on.” Just like with our clients, when a team member is having a hard time, Janet is there for them. When one of our team members felt like they were doing everything wrong, Janet reaffirmed what a valued part of the team they were. “I couldn’t confirm enough how well she does her job,” Janet recalls. “People are always happy to see her and our clients love her. I tell her she does a great job.” On the weekends, Janet enjoys spending time with her daughters. They enjoy going for walks together and quiet evenings at home. Even though Janet doesn’t have to be in to work early for her shift, she’s always there to make sure everything gets done. “I can’t help but be early to work,” she says. It sounds like a good habit to us, and just one of many attributes that makes Janet great at her job. 2. SHOW UP AND KEEP AN OPEN MIND. Ask any teacher in the country, and they’ll undoubtedly tell you that one of the best predictors of a child’s success is whether or not their parents make an appearance at parent- teacher conferences. Your engagement should go beyond that. Use the teacher’s preferred method of communication to stay in semi-regular contact with them — always ensuring that you keep an open mind about any praise, suggestions, or concerns they have about your child. 3. TEACH YOUR CHILD TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. Aside from leaving your kid completely to their own devices, one of the worst things you can do is swoop in to solve their problems for them at the slightest hint of adversity. Maybe that D your kid got on their algebra test really was their fault. It’s important to acknowledge your child’s missteps, but you should also try to equip them with the tools necessary to advocate for themselves. Learning to articulate what’s going wrong or what they need from their teacher will help them to develop positive and effective communication skills. The key is to work together with your child’s teacher without being overbearing. Don’t come in with guns blazing at the first sign of an educational slip. Think of your kid’s schooling as a collaborative effort — maybe one in which you’re a little less involved than the teacher — and you’ll be giving your child the best chance of success.

Helicopter parents are the bane of every teacher’s existence. With the return of back-to-school season, it’s vital to find a happy medium between the tiger mom who bares her teeth at the smallest setback in her child’s schooling and the laissez- faire parent who is totally disengaged from their kid’s education. Here are a few tips to keep you involved in your child’s educational development while fostering relationships with their teachers in a way that won’t drive all of you up the wall. 1. BE A LITTLE EMPATHETIC. Teachers are some of the hardest-working people in the world, wrangling the disparate needs of around 25 children day in and day out while attempting to get them to actually learn something. It’s a high-stress, low-paying job. In the midst of grading 300 research papers written by 12-year-olds, the last thing they need is the added pressure of concerned parents bearing down on them. If you can approach a teacher from a position of understanding and be willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, you’ll be off to a good start.

How Janet Makes Sure Our Employees and Clients Feel Valued

Janet Ruckle is a store manager at In the Bag Cleaners, and she’s been with our company for six years. She first learned about In the Bag Cleaners from a friend who worked here. “She’d always say such great things about In the Bag Cleaners,” Janet says. Her friend’s guidance made jumping into a leadership role easier. “She pre-trained me, so I kind of knew what I was stepping into,” Janet admits.

Being a leader comes naturally to Janet, and her passion for people is part of that.

Her favorite part about her job is the people. Janet says, “I love the people. Not only the ones I work with, but the clients who come in and share everything about themselves. One lady opened her door in the parking lot, touching another woman’s door. She apologized, and now, they get together every Wednesday.”

We’re so glad to have someone as hardworking and passionate as Janet at the helm of our store. We know you will be, too.

2 • In The Bag Cleaners • inthebagcleaners.com • (316) 267-3407

Late-Summer Panzanella

Your 3 Biggest Time Wasters

And How to Avoid Them

How many times have you found yourself wishing for a couple extra hours in the day? We all wish we had more time. But when was the last time you really looked at where each minute was going? Some of the biggest time wasters are the little things that add up over time. Here are three that you might consider turning into time savers. WORRYING How often do you find yourself taking the worry train? You start to remember something you haven’t done, or the “what-ifs” of your child’s first day of school, and suddenly your mind is on a one-way ticket to Worryville. It’s not a fun — or efficient — place to be. Worrying doesn’t accomplish anything past getting you more stressed. Instead, try writing down what’s worrying you, and for anything that can’t be addressed immediately, add a date and time for when you’ll resolve it. MINDLESSLY SCROLLING THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA You may think scrolling through Instagram once every few hours doesn’t eat into your precious time, but five minutes here and there can easily add up. It doesn’t mean you have to give it up — it just means you might consider scheduling time for it, as Jennifer, author of “The Intentional Mom,” recommends. Jennifer suggests scheduling time to scroll — even if it is three minutes every hour — and sticking to it. NOT HAVING A ROUTINE This may be the most important waster you can nix, as it may help manage your other time wasters. Spontaneity is fun for dates with your husband, but not for the everyday tasks you want to get done. According to Jennifer, “Routines save time because tasks don’t take up space in our heads and we become more proficient when they are done repeatedly the same way.” Little tasks like making school lunches, doing laundry, and even drinking your morning cup of coffee can all be part of a streamlined process that you don’t have to spend time and energy stressing over.

Ingredients

Inspired by Food Network

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1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

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1 small loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups) 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

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1 cucumber, sliced into rounds

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20 basil leaves, chopped

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2 large tomatoes, cubed

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Salt, to taste

2 red bell peppers, seeded and cubed

Vinaigrette

Directions

1. In a large sauté pan, set to medium-low heat and add olive oil. Add bread and 1 teaspoon salt, tossing often, for 10 minutes or until toasted. 2. In a large bowl, mix vegetables and herbs. Toss in bread and your favorite vinaigrette and mix again. 3. Serve immediately or allow to sit up to 30 minutes for the flavors to meld together.

Have a

Laugh!

Want to know one way to get into a routine and cut out a task that eats up a lot of your time? Bring your laundry to In the Bag Cleaners. We take care of your wash-and-fold laundry so you can spend your time doing more valuable tasks, like talking to your child about how their day went.

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1951 N. Ohio Ave., Wichita, KS 67214 (316) 267-3407 | www.inthebagcleaners.com

INSIDE This ISSUE

How Do You Develop Meaningful Goals?

The 3 Keys to Parent-Teacher Etiquette Meet Our Awesome Staff Make Time Wasters Your Time Savers Late-Summer Panzanella

Have You Heard About Mauritius?

Marvelous Mauritius A Secret Island of Adventure

Just over 1,000 miles off the southeastern coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean lies the small island of Mauritius. The island is often overlooked by the rest of the world. Most people are more likely to have heard of the island’s most famous extinct occupant, the dodo bird, than the island itself. This is shocking when you discover how much fun there is to be had in this tropical wonderland. ADVENTURE AWAITS Looking for fun in the sun? Start your trip to Mauritius with a hike up the lush Lion Mountain, or take time to snap a photo of the Seven Coloured Earths, where volcanic soil has created sand dunes of seven distinct colors. And what’s a trip to an island without the beach? Beautiful coral reefs surround Mauritius, keeping sharks away from the pristine beaches. Island guests and locals can fearlessly scuba dive around the brilliant reefs, swim with dolphins, kite surf, and find lots of other ways to enjoy the warm ocean waters. WALK THROUGH HISTORY More than a tropical escape, Mauritius is an island full of history and culture, so there are plenty of opportunities to learn about the island’s layered past. You can visit one of the historical rummeries or explore Mauritius’ two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. You

can also check out Aapravasi Ghat, the Immigration Depot, and Le Mourne Brabant.

TASTE THE MEMORIES A day spent playing on an island is always better with great food. Influenced by its French, Creole, Indian, and Chinese heritage, Mauritius offers a vast menu of delicious dishes to try, from curry to dim sum. And the rich soil and bountiful ocean provide more than enough fresh fruit and seafood to go around.

Despite its amazing vacation potential, Mauritius is all but

unheard of to people in the United States. This means travelers can find amazing five-star resorts at unbeatable prices! With this in mind, isn’t it time you got to know the island of Mauritius?

4 • In The Bag Cleaners • inthebagcleaners.com • (316) 267-3407