Category Archives: Leadership

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Eleven Life-Changing Hacks Learned from Blockbuster Movies

Number 2 Will Impact Your Life immediately.

I love movies, and I am dedicated to learning ways to improve my life. I had some fun in this post examining how elements of blockbuster movies may be applied to our lives for our own personal betterment and everyone around us.

Movie studios spend ten-of-millions of dollars to deliver an out-of-this-world experience for their audiences. They know the secrets to design an experience like no other, that gets the most out of the time you are in your seat. Well, many of those secret tricks can be applied to our lives to help us design a more dynamic life and improve each day.

Here are eleven life-changing hacks I learned from blockbuster movies to design a more dynamic life: Click to Read More

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Speaking at The World Education Summit

Speaking With John Hattie, Jo Boaler, Sal Kahn and so many MORE.

I am excited to be a speaker at The World Education Summit. I had three (3) sessions accepted! This is my second time speaking at the World Education Summit. Some of my education heroes are speaking there as well like: John Hattie, Jo Boaler, Sal Kahn and so many MORE. It is an extravaganza of teaching and learning! Such an honor and privilege.

Learn more at www.worldedsummit.com  and follow @WorldEdSummit #WorldEdSummit

My three (3) presentations:

Session One Title: Start a Podcast and Teach the World: The Wired Educator Podcast by Kelly Croy 

3 Key Points from Your Session

  • The Most Important Thing I Have Learned from Creating 232 Episodes
  • Discover Why Podcasting is Absolutely the Best Social Media Platform
  • Learn the Ingredients of a Successful Podcast

Session Two Title: Don’t Hope Children Develop Coping Skills for Anxiety, Teach Them: A Book Talk on Unthink Before Bed by Kelly Croy

3 Key Points from Your Session Click to Read More

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Books I Read in 2022 and Some Thoughts on Reading

I find great enjoyment and personal growth in reading every day. I am not a fast reader. I tend to take my time with my books, and I really try to apply what I am learning.

I am including a list of the books I read in 2022 in this post, but first some thoughts on reading:

Reflecting on my reading for last year I have three takeaways:

  1. First, I would like to read more fiction. I think we all need a story in our head. We need a diversion from the seriousness and busyness of life. We need to see there are problems bigger than what we are facing. We need to be inspired. I only read one piece of fiction last year. I will do better.
  2. Next, reading a lot is NOT the goal. I am not trying to read for mileage, but for enjoyment and to learn. If I can read more, wonderful! It’s not a competition. One book can change a life. I want to read those books. I want to write those books.
  3. Finally, I resolve to mix up and diversify my reading for this year. I read too much in the same categories, same authors, and my reading is pretty predictable. I did a little better on this last year, but I hope to discover some gems outside my wheelhouse of reading.

Five things I read reach day: Click to Read More

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Sharing My Goals for 2023

I've Never Shared My Goals Before. Trying to Hold Myself Accountable and Encourage Others

Goals can be a very private endeavor and perhaps they should be. There are TED Talks and Stoic Philosophy to support why you should NOT share what your are working toward. There is also some research to suggest maybe you should as it helps you accomplish your goals. I know several writers that I admire who share their goals, and I find it inspiring. Regardless of which is truly right and best, I have decided to share my goals this year.

As the first month of the year comes to a close, and I’ve shared ideas and tools to help you design a better year, I thought perhaps I would share some of my goals and the thoughts behind them to help hold myself more accountable, and I hope one or two may inspire others to get outside their comfort zone, set some of their own, and make some progress.

Typically the majority of goals around the world and over time fall into three primary categories: health, finances, and relationships.

I typically make a long list of my hopes and dreams for the new year. I also have five categories that I focus on with my goals setting which are: physical, financial, family, professional and business. From all of these I also pick the top three overall goals as my primary focus.

I keep everything organized in my journal.

Again, this is my first time sharing online ever! It may be my last too.

My top three goals for 2023 are: Click to Read More

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And Then It’s Our Turn

You Are Not Self-Made, Someone Opened a Door for You

Anything good that has happened in my life is because someone else helped me along the way.

I loved reading “I am Not a Self-Made Man” a foreward written by Arnold Schwartzenegger in Tim Ferriss’s book Tools for Titans, where Arnold credits every success in his life to the opportunities others have given him. He credits and names the mentors from his life. It’s wonderful. Too many people think they did it on their own. Nope. Someone was there.

Sure I worked hard, put in the time, figured some things out, and went the extra mile, but if others had not stepped forward to open doors, give me a chance, a look, an offer, extend an invitation, share me with others, well, I would not have gotten anywhere. None of us are self-made. As my favorite band U2 sings, “Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own.”

The movie Rocky looks to be at first recollection a the story of a man rising from his underdog status, completely on his own, to eventually achieve greatness (a Cinderella story, but she had help too you know) but if we look closer, an opportunity had presented itself. It was the opportunity of another, the opening of a door that allowed Rocky’s talents to play out. Rocky needed the chance, despite how hard he trained, he needed access to become great. He needed the event. Someone opened the door. He walked through.

I was twenty-one years old when Dan Kalo, a middle school principal, gave me a chance to teach. Wow! Who does that? My current position was an opportunity others encouraged me to pursue. I was given another chance. Amazing!

I could tell you the name of the first person to invite me to speak at their event, bought my first painting, bought my first book and every awesome first experience I’ve had. I’ll bet you can too.  It humbles me still to think others are willing to do that for all of us.

And then it’s our turn.

Click to Read More
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My One Word for 2023

A few years ago I added an important ingredient to my annual planning and goal setting process, the ‘my one word for the year’ theme made popular by writers Jon Gordon, Dan Britton and Jimmy Page in their book, One Word That Will Change Your Life.

The concept from the book is that the properly chosen word can summarize our goals and resolutions for the entire year into a single word. A single word allows focus, simplicity, determination, and according to the authors, a greater percentage of success than just making a list. I however do both.

Their book guides you through a helpful process centering around three questions:

What is needed? What’s in my way? What must go?

I have improvised my own method of getting to my own word that works well for me. My method centers around the guidance in the book, my journaling, a deep reflection on the previous year, and listing words that I believe are suitable and choosing among them.

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When Imbalance is Needed

This evening I received a wonderful email from someone who read my book, Along Came a Leader: A Guide to Personal and Professional Leadership. It is always awesome to get a message like this, and this email from Devon asked a great question.

“What measures can I use to prioritize the dozen areas of my life I am passionate about? There are so many projects in which I long to go full speed ahead. However, I have only so much gas and horsepower.” ~Devon

This was my reply:

A balanced life? Hmmmm…

I wish I knew that secret but I will share some of my thoughts on this.

I keep a journal. It helps. I track some basic daily habits in a grid.
I write down my goals for the year. I write monthly goals as the months arrive.
I have a daily to-do list of a few items.
There is honestly always leftovers.

I review my goals often.

The problem I have noticed is that some years my goals are the same as the previous year.
That is when imbalance is necessary.

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Goals Still Matter

People Spend 100x More Time on Social Media Than They Do on Planning Their Life

I rang in the 2023 New Year with my family watching a football game and the ball drop in NYC simultaneously on television. Our celebration plans had been impacted by a rogue flu bug that had made its way into our home. Still, we started the new year with some laughter, reflection and as always, hope for a brighter new year.

I’m a goal junkie. I love resolutions, goal-setting, journals and really anything that I believe helps people to design and plan for a more dynamic life. I think others do too, but some catch that wave of cynicism and say, “Why bother,” while inside their minds and hearts I doubt any are hoping and planning for the new year to be worse. C’mon.

I spent the holiday break reflecting on the previous year and making plans for the new year. It was fun. I enjoyed thinking and planning how I am going to write and illustrate a new children’s book, get in a little better shape, and spend more time with those I love. I’m the father of four daughters… we have a lot of plans for the year!

I believe goals still matter. I get frustrated when I see posts and social media shares that belittle resolutions. Why cast a shadow on someone who wants to get better?

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