Category Archives: Coaching

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My Reflection on My Personal and Professional Goals for 2023 and The Best Advice I Received

A Year Ago I Published a Blog Here Stating I Would Podcast How I Did With My Goals

Happy New Year to you.

(Last year I wrote the blog post “Goals for 2023” and shared I would record a podcast of how I did at the end of the year. Hit play above to listen episode I promised.)

Regardless of age or circumstance, there’s something truly enchanting about the beginning of a new year. It’s a time to set goals, make resolutions, and dream big. I’m a firm believer in the power of intentional goal-setting, and I want to share some insights and tools that have significantly enhanced my own journey.

Having just wrapped up a fantastic winter break with my family, I’m fueled by the warmth of shared experiences and the anticipation of what lies ahead. I’m a dedicated goal-setter, and I find that setting objectives and journaling are invaluable tools for planning and living a fulfilling life.

I just hit publish on ​Episode 235 of my Wired Educator Podcast​. It’s a personal reflection on the highs, lows, and everything in between that defined my journey in 2023. In this special episode, I delve into the impact I made, the setbacks I encountered, and the successes I celebrated. It’s a candid exploration of the lessons learned and the growth experienced over the past year.

Overall, 2023 was a fantastic year. That doesn’t mean I hit all my goals or even most; it means I made progress.

Exactly one year ago, armed with my trusty Moleskine Journal, I set forth a comprehensive list of over 50 personal and professional goals for 2023. To hold myself accountable and invite you into this journey, I committed to breaking down each goal in a dedicated podcast episode. It wasn’t an easy task, but transparency and accountability are crucial for personal development. ​Join me as I share the results of this ambitious goal-setting venture.​ Discover the achievements, the lessons in resilience, and the unexpected turns that shaped my year. I hope this episode serves as both an honest account of my journey and an inspiration for you to set and pursue your own goals.

This was a humbling but fun recording. So, why do I do it? It’s not about bragging; it’s about the belief that sharing our experiences and knowledge can genuinely help others. Just like a classroom setting, I see blogging, newsletters, and podcasting as platforms where we can learn and grow together.

Listen to the episode here: • On my website: ​https://wirededucator.com/goalreviewof2023/​ • On Spotify: ​https://open.spotify.com/episode/3odj9QW0OSYfMpf33ANECO?si=2uicDM73T7OgYCbG_qHawA​ • On Apple Podcasts: ​https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wired-educator-podcast/id974270220?i=1000640159417​

Best Advice I Received in 2023: I collect inspirational words and excellent advice. In fact, I write them down in the front of my journal under a section titled “Words to Live By.” This year the best advice I received was: “The magic fix you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.” I don’t know where I found this gem, or who said it. They’re not my words, but it has guided me in 2023. I love it. Another inspirational bit of advice I received was from author, Jon Acuff. He said, quite simply, “Stay in the game!” This spoke to me because I almost let my podcast go. I was being inconsistent in several areas of life because I had broken the streak. He emphasized to me the importance of sticking with my art and work. Love these two bits of advice. I hope they serve you.

Also,I’m offering a Coaching Opportunity: Want to start a podcast, speak on stage, publish a book, build a website, start a blog, become a better leader, complete the goal of your dreams? I have helped many educators publish books, start podcasts, and begin their service as keynote speakers and EDU consultants. I haven’t offered this in a while, and I am only going to keep this link open for a short time. I ONLY work with three people a year. If you are serious about moving forward complete the following form. Click here to learn about a paid coaching opportunity with Kelly: https://forms.gle/S3PK5194CyEGqT3o6

Always forward,

Kelly

I am a professional speaker, and I would like to speak at your event.

Order Kelly’s books, Along Came a Leader and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness for your personal library.

Educator, Author, Keynote Speaker
Twitter: @kellycroy
Instagram: @kcroy
Website: kellycroy.com and wirededucator.com
Podcast: The Wired Educator Podcast
and of course: Facebook.

Sign-up for Kelly’s newsletter here.

 

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Greatness is…

Redefining How to Bring Greatness Into Your Life

I love the absolute brilliance of variety and diversity in our world. Every sunset is a unique masterpiece. So many different and colorful birds. Music collections of countless genres and masters in so many differing styles, instruments and vocals. Galleries of enchanting art of differing styles and tastes. Social media content creators sharing their talents of seeming unbelievable abilities. I love them all.  I could write volumes on all the amazing varieties of our world.

(U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas with my wife, Lori.)

What I call greatness may or may not be appreciated by those around me, and boy do we have the means to overshare about that. Still, what I call greatness matters to me, and it’s worth pursuing and worth sharing.

My thirty-three years in education and many travels have introduced me to so many who sadly believe there is nothing great about them, nor ever will be. A good part of my career and passion as a parent, educator, author and speaker has been to convince otherwise.

I remember teaching one of my daughters to drive and in that very special time being alone in the car and free from the chains of devices, she shared a thought on life, “I just want to be great at something, dad.” She was. She is. I told her.

We all want the experience of greatness. Society’s measurements of greatness are harmful. This toxicity spreads into our homes, workplace, leisure and it spoils the living of life in the sense that things we should be proud and happy about are soured by the awfulness of comparison. Comparison can paralyze and impede.

Greatness is not a template or scale that we stand upon to be measured and weighed. I do not need a publisher to tell me my story is worth reading. I do not need a gallery’s invitation to give my art value and meaning. I do not need a calculation of likes or hearts to make a post worthy of sharing. Greatness is not a number in a record book. No, greatness to me is in fact defined quite differently.

Greatness is…

  • triumph over your greatest challenge.
  • positively impacting the life of another.
  • the courage to share something of which you are deeply proud.
  • the pursuit of a dream or personal improvement.
  • helping others to feel valued.
  • deeply personal.

Find your greatness. It looks different for everyone.

Be kind to yourself as you pursue it and measure your greatness against no one but yourself.

Feeling a bit braver? Offer authentic encouragement and joy to another for their efforts.

Getting your feet on the floor in the morning or taking one small step to toward your greatest challenge may seem personally insignificant, but in reality its greatness is as significant as the Olympian who shaved seconds of their last time.

You have greatness inside of you at this very moment. It’s waiting to be released. At any moment you have the capability to do great things. Immerse yourself in the positivity of this knowledge. In that moment of choice to move forward and advance, something wonderful is happening. Greatness.

It takes to courage to be great. The only way we can find the courage is to say ‘yes’ and take action.

Always forward,

Kelly

I am a professional speaker, and I would like to speak at your event.

Order Kelly’s books, Along Came a Leader and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness for your personal library.

Educator, Author, Keynote Speaker
Twitter: @kellycroy
Instagram: @kcroy
Website: kellycroy.com and wirededucator.com
Podcast: The Wired Educator Podcast
and of course: Facebook.

Sign-up for Kelly’s newsletter here.

 

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My Secret Board of Directors

A Collection of Amazing People Who Unknowingly Guide Many of My Decisions

I have a secret board of directors. They unknowingly guide many of my decisions. They are without a doubt the greatest assembly of mind, virtue and practice ever collected. I kid you not.

I assembled them years ago after being inspired by the writings of Dale Carnegie, Brian Tracy and Andy Andrews.

Just imagine if you had access to the sharpest minds in the world, or in all of history, to offer you advice in the areas of finance, health, relationships, professional success or whatever decision you are currently facing. Well, you do.

These board members I assembled were at first were just people I admired and whose point of view and values I would apply to major decisions I was facing. Some of them from history, long since deceased, and others so famous and successful that I would be unable to gain actual access to them. Still, I could study their lives. Their work. I could learn from their lessons, and I could apply their success and failures to my own life. And… I have.

This idea of a secret board of directors began to take on new iterations over time. I wondered, “What if I could ask them real questions and get immediate feedback?” I studied my friend circle and the connections I had made over the years and started categorizing acquaintances in particular categories that I admired. I would send them scenarios or questions and they readily shared their thoughts. I then shared their ideas with others in the same category of brilliance to gauge their response and development of the ideas.

 

In deep reflection, I would pose a questions to my diverse board. Perhaps I was making an expensive purchase for the family, what would my assembled board say, and how would they vote. These are big life questions, not grocery shopping mind you. I would journal the names of my ‘acting’ board. Pose the question. (Applying for a job, buying a home, etc,) I’d jot down notes of different perspectives, and tally the votes. Maybe this sounds crazy, but it works. You can’t consider every perspective or you’d remain indecisive.

My secret board of directors has served me well. Perhaps you are on mine. Seriously. You wouldn’t know. Click to Read More

 

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Along Came a Leader: My Zoom Visit with Fairview Park City School District’s Book Club

Last week I had the honor of being invited by the Fairview Park City Schools book club to discuss my book, Along Came a Leader: A Personal and Professional Guide to Leadership. I was thrilled to connect with fellow educators who share my passion for leadership and education. Our virtual discussion on the Zoom platform was a rewarding experience, and I was grateful for the chance to share my insights and learn from others.

During our conversation, we delved into the challenges educators face and how leadership can help overcome these obstacles while inspiring students. I drew from my experiences in coaching, teaching, and writing to offer practical strategies and techniques for fostering positive and productive cultures and promote the six tenets of leadership from my book.

As a speaker and educator, I am passionate about inspiring others to become better leaders. I firmly believe that everyone has the potential to be a great leader, and my goal is to empower individuals and organizations to achieve their full potential. By sharing my insights, I hope to help others unlock their leadership potential and create a lasting impact on their communities.

The book club, comprised of educators, administrators and staff members asked some incredible questions. One teacher asked me what my biggest struggle with leadership was. My answer was  ‘accountability’ and I explained my challenges of holding myself personally accountable and helping to maintain accountability within an organization without coming across as a jerk. Everyone seemed to appreciate my candor and sense of humor. I was also asked about how I addressed loyalty in the book. One teacher really appreciate that I highlighted the difference and importance of placing loyalty in virtues about people. People change. We have a duty to be loyal to virtues. We can love people even when they make mistakes, but when those mistakes hurt others, our loyalty must always stay with the virtue. Now, loyalty in relationships is different and a mark of integrity. Don’t confuse personal and professional loyalties. They are not the same. They should not be intertwined. We need virtuous leaders of the highest level of integrity to have the courage to identify a wrong as wrong and work collaboratively to correct it, without allowing friendships to interfere.

I really enjoyed talking to the large group and it is always an honor when someone reads your book and wants to talk to you about how it impacted them. Wow! I am never taking that for granted. What a great afternoon! Click to Read More

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Speaker at the COSSBA Conference in Tampa!

Honored to Speak at The National Conference for the Consortium of State School Boards Associations, Tampa, Florida

It was an honor to speak at The National Conference for the Consortium of State School Boards Associations last weekend in Tampa, Florida.

National Conferences are particularly inspiring because of the opportunity for people across the nation to share, inspire and network solutions to our greatest challenges.

This conference was memorable because I co-presented with my superintendent, Pat Adkins. Our presentation highlighted the great work our district’s staff is doing at Port Clinton Schools. Pat led the presentation and absolutely inspired our audience with the amazing initiatives happening in our district. Our title was “Safe, Healthy and Learning! How Leaders Can Prioritize and Implement Solutions to Improve the Safety and Wellness of Students, Staff and Family as a Crucial Component of On-Going Learning.” Click to Read More

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Don’t Just Talk About Leadership, Teach It

Recent Speaking Event, Two Books to Recommend, and a Shout-Out to Colleagues and Student-Leaders!

This past week, I had the privilege and honor to be one of the speakers at the Sandusky Bay Conference Leadership Summit for Youth Leaders, along with my superintendent, Pat Adkins, and other experts from our region. We led sessions to help student-leaders understand that leadership is more than a title, taught them what sportsmanship really is, and offered alternatives and direction when adversity arrives.

The student-leaders were amazing! We really need to give young adults more praise and opportunity. I was incredibly impressed with their attentiveness, appreciation, ideas, and leadership. The students shared some poignant challenges: too much drama in their sport, unruly fans, unsupportive family, poor role models and more! They also shared solutions and ideas that made me leave with great hope that we are in good hands with these future leaders.

Too often, I believe, parents, teachers, coaches, advisors, and community leaders have expectations from students on leadership but rarely take the time to teach and train them on ways to deliver. Everybody values leadership, but they are hoping, or expecting, someone else to take care of it. That’s why I think a day like this Sandusky Bay Conference Leadership Summit for Youth Leaders is so important. The leaders of the SBC, like our awesome Athletic Director, Rick Dominick,  believe leadership and sportsmanship are important enough to schedule it, plan it, and offer it to schools in our region. Kudos to all who accepted and participated. I believe over 400 students attended. The students now have a lot of great leadership tools to take back to their teams and district to not only apply in their lives, but to teach other.

What a great day! I wish that I could have attended the other sessions as well and learned from the other speakers.

One of the reasons I wrote my first book, Along Came a Leader, Click to Read More

 

 

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3 Ways to Get Better Mileage Out of Your Attitude

Your attitude is important, a choice, and malleable.

Attitude is king.

There are thousands of areas in your life in which you could improve, but I firmly believe the most important area everyone must focus on first is their attitude. In fact, I believe that you could master all of the other qualities, yet maintain a bad attitude and you will fail as a leader and at life. Your attitude is that important!

Conversely, I believe, you could fail at all of the other qualities, yet keep a great attitude, and you will rise to levels of success.

Attitude is king.

You already possess an attitude. How is it working for you? Are you self aware? Are you able to take a step back and reflect on whether your attitude is helping you or hindering you?

Here are three ways to get more mileage out of your attitude just like a car: Click to Read More

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3 Things You Own That Are Keeping You From What You Want

We own a lot of stuff.

I recently looked at a house for sale, and two thoughts immediately came to my mind, “Wow! These people own a lot of stuff. If we were to buy this house, how would they ever pack it all up?” The second was, “My family sure owns a lot of stuff, how would we ever pack it all up?”

Among all of the physical trinkets, items, and perhaps even necessities in our life, there are other ‘things’ we own that we are not even aware of that have a negative impact. They aren’t packed in a box or sitting on a shelf. We carry them with us everywhere we go.  Becoming aware of the ownership of these things and taking small steps to remove them will go a long way in our own personal success and happiness, as well as the happiness and success of all the people around us.

There are three things that you own that are keeping you from everything that you want.

That’s a pretty bold statement, but it’s true, and one of them is a goat. Yep, a goat.

I’m as guilty as the next person. Owning these three things have prevented me from the relationships I want, the opportunities I want, and even the things I want in life.

Here are the three things you own that are keeping you from what you want, and what you can do about it: Click to Read More