So I Did a Dumb Thing...

Let me first just preface this post with, for all of the dumb things I’ve done over the last year and a half, I’d like to think I’ve done twice as many good things. Having said that, some of the best stories and lessons learned have started with ”So I did a dumb thing..”

Our generation in particular LOVES a good moment of vulnerability, especially in an industry that prides itself on excellence. If anyone looked back on their early years in this industry, they would be hard-pressed to find someone who would claim they did everything right their first go-’round.

The excess of independence we are given, combined with the amount of pressure + accountability lends itself to mistakes…Oh and did I mention the lack of any amount of the margin for error?

Remember when I said this was going to get uncomfortable and honest? Well, let’s get right to it. Here are 5 dumb things I did during my first year in private aviation that I probably wouldn’t do again.

1. I didn’t develop preparation routines.
2. I prioritized fun over work and rest.
3. I did not uphold a balance of home responsibilities and work.
4. I became complacent and did not continue educating myself.
5. I didn’t stay true to myself.

A flight attendant’s job is to literally be prepared…for anything…at any time…under every circumstance. That preparation begins with the way you pack your own personal bags.

If you are a chronically forgetful such as myself, formulating routines for how you pack will ensure you leave for work being set up for success…and not running to the nearest Target for a phone charger…or borrowing your pilot’s iWatch charger…again.

There are a few things we should never leave the house without, things including our wallets, personal and work IDs, an extra pair of black tights, TUMS, mints, iPads, electronic chargers, and I don’t know, maybe your PASSPORT?

“You forgot your passport?” SURE DID! Sure did. That instant unfortunately lives rent-free in my memory.

So instead of going on my first multi-day tour starting in the Bahamas, I got to call my mom and cry the entire drive back to Cincinnati in a snowstorm. I am so happy I can laugh about this now because that day I believed my career was over before it even started.

Assemble routines, especially around preparation to prevent avoidable, and potentially opportunity-losing mistakes.

”I prioritized fun over work and rest.”

Speaking of that amount of freedom I mentioned…I’m just going to say what you’re all thinking – flight crews like to get after it don’t they? Of course, they do. For the most part.

If you’re half as social as I am, even you would be persuaded to go out when you’re in a new, and different city most nights of the week. SUMMER (work) SHOULD BE FUN!! @kylecook. Fun isn’t just for Friday and Saturday nights when you work in this industry. It’s almost as if it should be part of the job description if we’re continuing down this path of integrity.

It is remarkably easy to lose your sense of balance between work and recreation if you aren’t paying attention. We cannot afford to not have our heads on straight when it comes to work and safety, and one too many Modelos and a ruined bookbag later can certainly jeopardize any of that.

I worked hard but partied harder and that just isn’t sustainable. I forgot that I wasn’t 21 anymore and people looked at me to be a professional.

How easily do you forget the importance of working out, eating well, and getting your rest between trips when there’s a tiki bar of some sort involved?

Fortunately, this is an easy fix because once you find your balance, you appreciate everything else that much more.

“I did not maintain a balance of home responsibilities and work.”

Remember when I referred to how all-consuming this career can be? Well, I wasn’t fabricating.

Projects at home were put on the backburner and I struggled to maintain certain relationships with friends and family. I had a tunnel-vision thought process because rather than focusing on what was in front of me, I craved the next trip and overtime pay. In turn, I began to make the people I cared so deeply for, feel insignificant compared to the latest and greatest adventure I just had.

In hindsight, I wish I would have relished some of those once-in-a-moment occasions at home and times with loved ones that can’t be duplicated. There will always be another trip to the islands, there will always be more and extra money to make, and the esteem and aura of the job begin to fade; and feel lukewarm.

”I became complacent and did not continue educating myself.”

This one cuts to the core a bit because it turns me into a bit of a hypocrite. The entire reason I started the original blog was so I could not only continue to learn and perfect my craft and capabilities as a flight attendant, but to share all of this knowledge and perspectives with others in the community.

Instead, I quickly became complacent and content with the job I was doing and the service I was providing. I didn’t surround myself with others who nudged me to be better and kept me in check. I wasn’t willing to have candid conversations with others, or myself. Had I done that, I undoubtedly would have realized I was settling into mediocrity early in my career.

And that certainly isn’t me.

When I started, I was enthralled to have the opportunity to put myself into positions to network with the best and saturate my brain with new skills and refinements on others. Where did that go?

While I can’t narrow it down to a specific or particular moment, I can say that a perfect storm of the previous three ”dumb things I did,” probably played a crucial role in my complacency.

With the job I have now, not only is this not an option, but I have people in my corner who know me well enough to not let that happen again. The beautiful, and potentially frustrating for some, parts of this job is that you can never practice enough recipes, stage enough cabins, learn enough languages, and take enough safety courses. Every single leg and trip you get to be better and provide a more sophisticated service for your guests and crew. Boredom is not an option here.

“I didn’t stay true to myself.”

This one was a late addition but after acknowledging the mistakes I made and harsh lessons I learned, I concluded that these weren’t inherent qualities of my truest self, but rather bad habits.

I am organized and hardworking. I am perceptive, almost to a fault, mindful, and attentive to others and myself. Qualities like these are what drew me to this world in the first place and what granted me the opportunities before me and to come.

While I did a dumb thing or 50, I’ll probably do at least another 20 before the end of my second year around these parts. While this industry mandates perfection on every level, I don’t admire the ”fake it ’till you make it” mentality. Don’t fake it, screw up, learn, and be better. Get yourself together and achieve the perfection you’re more than capable of. Own your negligences and don’t make them again.

And, for what it’s worth….I’ve yet to leave the house again without my passport. Who knows when I’ll need it at Trader Joe's on a Monday afternoon in March.