Speaker, Artist, and Educator
What would your perfect day look like? What would it need to include?
It’s fun to think about a perfect day, but of course, we realize, a perfect day isn’t really possible. Still, how great would it be if your day included most of these qualities you listed? Half? Some? It would still be an incredible day, right?
I wonder how many of us aren’t even hitting one of these per day? Why is that? I’m guessing it’s because we didn’t make time for it and plan it into our day. Continue Reading…
The starting point of anything can be a little intimidating, especially if it’s your first time.
If it’s a race, you might compare yourself to other runners, question the course, or start predicting what could go wrong. If it’s a financial goal, your initial deposit may look so minuscule in comparison to the total amount needed that you begin to second guess even starting.
Goals, resolutions, and habits are what transform us and bring out the best in us, but they really don’t need to be complex and stressful. They need to be fun and engaging.
Run your race, not the guy’s next to you. Plan your financial portfolio, not your coworkers’. Create your plan and personalize your goals with your life.
A new year, a birthday, the start of the month, even the first day of the week can provide us with an opportunity to begin something new, begin something needed, and chart a new course. It’s nice to have those clean-slate moments on the calendar. Embrace them. Use them to your advantage! It’s also important to remember, any time is a good time to start something worthwhile.
Whistle While You Work
Your level of self-motivation and passion will directly impact and influence those you lead. Yep! That’s your attitude. Attitude is one of the six essential qualities of a leader.
How many times have you said, “I can’t do that!” or worse, “I don’t want to do that!”? There are a lot of unpleasant jobs that need to be done in every area of our life. We have a choice. We can choose to do them with a negative attitude or a positive attitude. It really is that simple. Having a good attitude ensures the job will be done well and the time will move quickly. All will benefit from a good attitude.
I have worked for some leaders that really thought there were certain jobs beneath them to do. They saw themselves as sitting high on a throne ordering others to do the dirty work. I have had other leaders jump right in with me to help get the job done. Guess which one I admired more and had more loyalty? Guess which one I want to follow? It’s not the one yelling at me to do it, it’s the one working with me to get the job done.
We we can either work for bosses or we work we can work with leaders. We have to do what our boss says, and we want to do what a leader says. Big difference, and it’s all in the attitude.
You’re Blowing it!
It’s not procrastination. That sounds too sophisticated.
You’re not stalling. That’s just too nice.
You’re blowing it! You are about to miss a once in a lifetime opportunity because you are more interested in reading your Twitter Feed or updating your current Facebook status.
Life is short and we all have goals and dreams. We work toward them or we don’t. When we don’t achieve our dreams we make excuses and cover up our inaction with niceties. We act like we will eventually get there and that everything is going to be fine.
Well, what if you’re wrong? Live your life without regrets and get your dreams on the production line.
Run one more mile.
Eat one less donut.
Call your mom one more time each month.
Stay off Facebook one entire day.
Write one more page.
Buy one less extra.
It all comes down to one more or one less to make a significant difference. Use some consistency each day, each week, each month, and you will really see progress.
Resolutions don’t have to be huge they need to be consistent. Simple actions compounded can create some dramatic changes.
Imagine weighing twelve pounds less than you do right now this time next year. All it would take is a pound a month and some consistency. The same principles can be applied to your finances, projects, goals, and dreams.
Good luck.
Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and keynote speaker.
He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation
including corporations, schools, churches, conferences,
and anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired.
Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.
1-800-831-4825
Leaders make decisions. It’s what they do.
Each and every time a leader makes a decision they are impacting a life.
Apply the ‘Domino’ or ‘Butterfly’ effect and the number of lives impacted by a leader’s single decision is sometimes mesmerizing.
That is why leaders need to: respond rather than react, seek wisdom, listen to counsel, and reflect frequently.
Once a decision is made, however, it is not final. Leaders must be decisive and firm, but when a poor decision is made, and it happens, it is a leader’s duty to make it right.
I firmly believe that leaders must take the motto “We’ll make it right!” to heart; it’s never too late to right a wrong.
In an earlier post, I discussed the three steps Continue Reading…
The world is filled with admirers of Steve Jobs, and rightfully so. The man was an incredible visionary, innovator, speaker, businessman, leader, and communicator. His impact has left little untouched. One overlooked talent though, was his use of simple language to convey his passion for a product or service. How many times did we hear him say, “insanely great, phenomenal, awesome, revolutionary, amazing, and of course magical?”
His word choice was in sync with his passion for minimalism in design and the simple elegance of his presentation. Uncomplicated. Straightforward. Direct. Powerful. The advertisements, stores, packaging, and even his dress embodied this motif.
He chose simple words, but words powerful in their connotations. They were chosen with care. They were delivered with passion. They told a story.
My favorite term Jobs used was when he called someone or their idea a Bozo.
Bozo was a term Steve would use to describe someone that just didn’t get it. A bozo to him was someone that was more interested in the bureaucracy of business rather than innovation. A bozo was someone that was ineffective and someone that wasn’t authentic. A bozo was someone who focused on what wasn’t important. Basically a bozo was anyone Steve didn’t respect.
I recently read an article though about his use of the term bozo at NeXt. According to NeXt employees, you could go from bozo to genius in months if you eventually got it and performed. (Better yet, outperformed.) And I am sure you could probably drop back down again too.
Many think Steve burned bridges, but I don’t think that is the case at all. Sure, he was competitive and occasionally became upset, but I still remember the shock I had, and later conceded to the brilliance of his move, when he partnered Apple with Microsoft. When you consider all of the deals he made with the record industry, artists, television companies, and publishers, you realize he built far more bridges than he ever burned.
Steve Jobs had standards, incredibly high ones, for himself, his staff, and the corporations he created. The results speak for themselves. Bozos either don’t have standards or they break them. Bozos lack vision or don’t follow it. Bozos place business over delivering a quality service or product.
Don’t want Steve Jobs to think you are a bozo? Do the following:
These are just my observations of a man I never met, but a man who impacted my life more than most of those whom I have.
I will work hard not to be a bozo.
Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and professional speaker.
He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation
including corporations, schools, churches, conferences,
and anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired.
Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.
www.kellycroy.com
1-800-831-4825
Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and professional speaker.
He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation
including corporations, schools, churches, conferences,
and anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired.
Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.
www.kellycroy.com
1-800-831-4825
Today is September 11th and our home reflects a dichotomy of emotions.
A woman on the television solemnly reads the names of those who lost their lives ten years ago at the World Trade Center.
…our house is decorated with balloons and streamers.
Airports are on heightened security due to unconfirmed reports of terrorist movement.
…we will eat cake and sing.
Our leaders hold their breath.
…we celebrate my daughter’s birthday.
It’s not easy celebrating anything on such a solemn day, but I cannot allow my daughter to be robbed the joy of celebrating her life. Still, my mind drifts elsewhere. I think about the lives lost, and I briefly question the wisdom of going to a cinema or a shopping mall in fear of some act of revenge on the anniversary of perhaps the darkest day in our history. We proceed. Perhaps our decisions are weighed a little move heavily. Perhaps I am a bit more conscious. I privately and publicly mourn those who died, honor the heroes, and carry on being a father.
That’s what Americans do best; we carry on. March forward. Advance.
We do not forget.
My daughter gets it; the day is no longer hers. An unfortunate lesson. A sad coincidence. A lesson in service, honor, perspective and gratitude. Families were robbed of loved ones, our country defiled of its innocence and safety, and her day is overshadowed by the remembrance of a tragedy. In truth, she would have it no other way. I believe she feels honored to celebrate her life today as a tribute to so many who gave up theirs. At times it seems odd, and at times, perfect.
Yes, today is September 11th. It’s okay to celebrate birthdays, cheer for your football teams, drive your child to soccer, and laugh at a movie. If we didn’t, the act of terror would have succeeded and continued, and the so many who gave their lives so willingly, truly would have died in vain. We must carry on, march forward, advance, yet never forget.
At church this morning we were reminded to forgive, and I know that cannot be easy. I celebrate my daughter’s life while another father marks the anniversary of his daughter’s death, and yet, I know forgiveness indeed takes place. How do you do that? I am amazed. I have much to learn.
September 11, 2001 was an incredibly humbling day for me. It was as if Death itself had given me a glimpse of my own mortality, a reminder of life’s frailty, and an understanding of the horrors man can conceive and act out. Yet within that shadowy bush of thorns, a blossom of hope and courage emerged like a single red rose, as I was also given a glimpse of the courageousness of mankind, witnessing selfless acts of every day people, stepping forward like the heroes in the comic books I read as a child. I saw giving, sacrifice, compassion, and the complete erasure of nearly every dividing characteristic. On that dark hour we were not aligned to political parties, economic classes, or members of a race. We stood together.
From the ashes of destruction fueled by misguided hate rose a nation united, determined, to advance against a common cause, to make an impact.
On our country’s darkest hour, I was reminded what it means for me to be an American, a Christian, a father, and a neighbor.
Today is September 11th and our home reflects a dichotomy of emotions.
Carry on. March forward. Advance. Never forget.
Happy Birthday Allyson.
Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and professional speaker.
He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation
including corporations, schools, churches, conferences,
and anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired.
Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.
1-800-831-4825
I picked up my daughter’s basketball sitting
where she practices at home. It was as smooth as an apple. Useless. All the bounce was gone, and it was becoming threadbare in some areas. I was about to toss it in the trashcan and get her a new one when my daughter stopped me. She told me she was taking it to practice with her that day and that her coach would give her a new basketball. In fact, she elaborated, her coach would give her a new basketball for every one she wore out. Wow! What a fabulous idea!
My daughter’s coach did in fact give her a basketball for every one she wore out, but more amazing than that is that her coach instilled in her a desire to practice, gave her a visual goal, and reinforced the successful habits of a committed athlete. Well done.
I incorporated that idea into my own life. I have been wanting a new laptop for some time. Not just any laptop, but the new MacBook Air from Apple. I have saved my money and all I need to do is place the order, but I made a commitment to myself to wait until I have finished the book I have been working on for the past two years. My current laptop used for writing will be replaced with the new one when the book is finished and query letters mailed.
It’s easy to become distracted, but there are techniques we can employ to counter them and become more productive, and I believe creating your own buy-back program is an excellent idea to meet your goals.
Discipline, focus, commitment, and training are the keys to success in any area in life, whether it be writing, sports, art, or anything else. The distractions become less influential when we have a clear measurable goal in front of us.
I hope you can find an area in your life that you can set-up a similar buy-back reward program. Perhaps you can use it with a friend or family member, or perhaps even with yourself.
Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and professional speaker.
He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation
including corporations, schools, churches, conferences,
and anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired.
Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.
1-800-831-4825
