Category Archives: Productivity

Posted on

FFP 030: Seven Tools for the Leader’s Mind

In this episode of The Future Focused Podcast, I share seven tools for the leader’s mind.

We have tools all over our house. We have tools to cook, tools to make repairs, tools for our electronics, and we even have tools to work on our bodies. All of these tools help us to do things better. We have tools to help us in every place in our lives, but one area that most feel they lack tools is our minds. We need tools to help us think better. Today you’re going to be given seven awesome tools that the legends of leadership utilize to level-up and make a difference.

Our minds are powerful tools when we know how to put them to use. They can solve any problem and help us achieve any goal when we utilize these tools. Without the proper, mental leadership tools our minds can work against us and make us its prisoner. If you are seeing success as a leader you are most likely already applying some of these tools.

Listen here.

I also hope you will sign-up for my newsletter. I am giving away a free tool called The Leadership Matrix. It will allow you to identify where you are strong in leadership, and where you need to improve. To get the tool, all you need to do is sign-up for my newsletter, but this offer expires soon.

This episode will help you become a better leader.

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy week to level-up your leadership and design a dynamic life.

You are awesome!

Kelly

Kelly Croy is an author, speaker, and educator. Want to learn more? Send an email. • Sign-up for Kelly’s Newsletter. Listen to Kelly’s other podcast The Wired Educator Podcast with over 148 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 

 

Posted on

My One Word for 2020

I still make New Year’s Resolutions and set goals each year. I enjoy the process and find it helps me organize my year. I look at the process as a planning meeting. I’ve learned a lot about the process over the year and combined with some accountability practices it serves me well.

Still, there is always more I want to do and accomplish. A few years ago I was introduced to the concept of The One Word for the Year.

For the past few years, I have watched with fascination on social media as people proclaim there “one-word” theme for the upcoming year. The concept is to choose a word that represents the theme you want to focus on, in this year of your life.

The idea clearly works upon the knowledge that as we improve in one area, that improvement bleeds into other areas of our life.

There are blog posts, videos, books, and even jewelry that embrace this concept of a one-word, annual theme.

My one word for 2020 is: Finish.

I do feel like I accomplish a lot each year, but there are a couple of areas and goals that I have been working on for years that continue to escape me, and if I could finish these… well, they would provide me with the most gain, happiness, and success.

I have a lot of ideas. I have a lot of really good ideas. While this seems like a blessing, and in some ways it is, these great ideas often detour my focus on finishing. I still want to document these great ideas, but I want to focus and finish.

I saw a quote last year that said, “The elite don’t dabble.” Not sure I am aiming for elite, but I know I want to get better. Not sure what I do is dabbling, but I know the primary areas I am most interested in don’t get finished. I love to brainstorm. I love to start. But finish… sometimes I drag my feet on purpose.

So… FINISH is my one word for 2020.

Here are a few things I want to finish in 2020:

  1. Publish my children’s book, Unthink Before Bed.
  2. Lower my weight under 230 lbs and getting more fit.
  3. Recording the audio version of my book Along Came a Leader.
  4. Building one online course.
  5. Sending out a monthly newsletter.
  6. Complete a 5K in under 35 minutes.
  7. Stop drinking soda pop.

Rather than focus on these individual goals, I will focus on the word Finish. When I work on a project I will approach it and work on it daily with the mindset of finishing. 2020 will be the year I really build this habit.

Maybe you can help hold me accountable?

Finish. Finish faster. Finish sooner. Finish better. I will reflect on this word and make finishing my one word for every day of the year. I will make it a habit to finish. Finishing will be a part of my character.

To assist me with my one word, I just started reading John Acuff’s book Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done.

I will apply what I learn.

What is your one-word of 2020? Why? I’d love to read it in the comments below.

Remember, choosing your one-word is a great start, but you have to live it each day.

Here are some books that go much deeper into this one-word for the year concept:

Sign-up for Kelly’s newsletter here. Kelly Croy is an author, speaker, and educator. If you’d like to learn more about Kelly or invite him to your organization to speak please send him an email. • Listen to Kelly’s podcasts, The Future Focused Podcast and The Wired Educator Podcast with over 150 episodes of interviews. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for a school book study or your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram  

Posted on

FFP 028: How to Build Emotional Intelligence for Life and Leadership

In this episode of The Future Focused Podcast, I focus on the importance of Emotional Intelligence. What is it? Why do we need it? How do we build it?

If you really want to become an exceptional leader… If you really want to live an incredible life… you need to build your emotional intelligence. If you’re struggling in leadership or struggling in life your lack of emotional intelligence may very well be the obstacle that’s holding you back.

Emotional intelligence is something that is growing in importance in both the workplace and home. It is something I believe it extremely important to individuals, teams, and leaders… no matter where you lead… in the home, at work, a sports team… a battlefield, online, offline, everywhere.

Most people don’t know what it is nor why they need it. Well, that is changing, and it’s changing at a rapid pace. Self-care, wellness, and emotional intelligence are fortunately becoming common practice in the workplace and home.

Find out what it is, why it’s important and how you can increase your Emotional Intelligence to bring peace and prosperity, health and happiness, to your life. 

It’s time  to level-up your leadership and design a more dynamic life. It’s time to get future-focused. 

Mentioned in this episode:

The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday: This is the book that I read a section of every day and have been for years. This is one of the ways I build my emotional intelligence.

Sign-up for my free newsletter: To help you kick off the new year and to help you reach your goals and resolutions this year, I am giving away a free copy of my 64-page eBook, The Greatest Year of Your Life (2020 Edition) to everyone who signs up for my newsletter. Become more productive. Get things done. Level-up your leadership. Design a more dynamic life. All you have to do to receive the free copy is to sign-up for my free newsletter. Just click this link and enter your email. That’s it. It’s that simple. This eBook is available only until January 15, 2020.

——————————–
Coaching Application: Would you like to work with me to help you achieve your goal of publishing a book, building a website, hosting a podcast, starting a business, becoming a speaker, or achieving another awesome life goal? Complete the following application before January 15, 2020. One lucky applicant will win free coaching. Here is the application: https://forms.gle/762GxbJ8b5oD8xEK9 
Wishing you much success!
Kelly
Looking for a dynamic speaker for your event? • Kelly Croy is an author, speaker, and educator. Want to learn more? Send me an email. • Sign-up for Kelly’s Newsletter. Listen to Kelly’s other podcast The Wired Educator Podcast with over 148 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 
Posted on

FFP 027: Everyone Benefits from Coaching

Hosted by Kelly Croy, Featuring Zach Rondot

In this episode of The Future Focused Podcast, I delve deep into the possibilities of coaching. Too many people have a previously conceived negative mindset about coaching, or if interested have ruled out any possibility that coaching would be possible for their goal or their budget. I not only believe that everyone can benefit from coaching, I truly believe everyone should and can have a coach!

Everyone can have a coach, too!

I believe that most people never reach their maximum potential unless they are coached.

I also believe EVERYONE can have a coach!

On recent episodes of the Future Focused Podcast, I have talked about the 5 types of people everyone needs in their life. I shared that having these 5 people reduces stress, frustration and overwhelm, and leads to faster and greater success than imagined.

One of those five people needed is a coach.

This episode not only highlights the importance of a coach in your life but also illustrates how anyone, and I mean anyone, can get one, and why everyone should.

Someone reading this right now saying… I don’t need one. That person’s success will be stunted and limited. They’ll never reach their optimum potential.

Mentioned in this episode:

Sign-up for my free newsletter: To help you kick off the new year and to help you reach your goals and resolutions this year, I am giving away a free copy of my 64-page eBook, The Greatest Year of Your Life (2020 Edition) to everyone who signs up for my newsletter. Become more productive. Get things done. Level-up your leadership. Design a more dynamic life. All you have to do to receive the free copy is to sign-up for my free newsletter. Just click this link and enter your email. That’s it. It’s that simple. This eBook is available only until January 15, 2020.

——————————–
Coaching Application: Would you like to work with me to help you achieve your goal of publishing a book, building a website, hosting a podcast, starting a business, becoming a speaker, or achieving another awesome life goal? Complete the following application before January 15, 2020. One lucky applicant will win free coaching. Here is the application: https://forms.gle/762GxbJ8b5oD8xEK9 
Wishing you much success!
May your 2020 be filled with good health and happiness, peace and prosperity, much love and laughter.
Kelly
Looking for a dynamic speaker for your event? • Kelly Croy is an author, speaker and educator. Want to learn more? Send me an email. • Sign-up for Kelly’s Newsletter. Listen to Kelly’s other podcast The Wired Educator Podcast with over 148 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 

 

Posted on

Five Tools I Use for Note-Taking, Journaling and Organizing My Ideas

I have been journaling now for over 20 years. I use my journal to improve my life by taking notes, planning projects, reflecting on successes and failures, brainstorming ideas, planning books, writing speeches, capturing magical moments with my family and so much more.

My process has evolved over the years. The very first year I wrote things down in a spiral notebook just like the one you would use in a high school classroom. Now my notes sync electronically across all of my devices and a plan special projects in a leather Moleskine journal.

For day-to-day journaling, I use:

• Day One: Day One is an electronic journal that is on all of my devices. It is passcode and security protected. It prompts me each day to write an entry. I have multiple journals inside the app. One for my personal life, one for work, and a Kudos journal to inspire and improve my mindset. I really like Day One. It has a lot of advanced features and it is searchable. Easy to find what you are looking for with a quick search. You can include photos, sketches, text, voice and more. I highly recommend Day One. The best journal is the one you have with you, and Day One is on your iPhone, your Apple Watch, your iPad, and Your MacBook.

• Moleskine Journal: I like to use paper and pen sometimes to plan projects although my iPad and the Apple Pencil are replacing this need more frequently. The best physical journal is this Moleskine Journal: My journal of choice is: extra-large, softcover, Moleskine Carnet ligne’ lined 192 paged journal measuring 7 and 1/2 inches by 9 and 3/4 inches. I know because I have tried them all.

For Note-Taking and Sketch-noting: 

• GoodNotes: GoodNotes is the app I use with my iPad and Apple Pencil for note-taking. The ability to use the Apple Pencil and write with it makes it awesome! It’s searchable and versatile. You can create notebooks or quick notes. It has so many great features and lots of incredible templates. GoodNotes is the tool that is quickly replacing my Moleskine Journal for everything. It syncs with all of my devices so ALL of my notes are with me wherever I go. They are on my phone, iPad, and MacBook. They look great and it is perfect for sketch noting too. You can even search handwritten words and you can also convert handwriting to typed text. I take my iPad to meetings or work on my notes or review wherever I go.

• Procreate: Procreate is the best app for creating art. Boom! I said it. I have tried every art app imaginable. Procreate is fun, easy to use and powerful. I love Procreate. I do all of my art here now except for my painting, and even my paintings begin here as sketches. I sometimes use Procreate for Sketch-noting.

• Drafts: Drafts is an app I use to quickly capture and idea for a blog post or crudely capture a thought that enters my head while listening to a blog post. Everything inside my Drafts app is captured quickly, crudely, and is reviewed and put into one of my other tools later. I also store hashtags and other copy that I will tweet, or copy and paste into something else on a regular basis. Drafts is where I dump my brain. I really enjoy it.

I’ll share how I put these tools to work in a later post.

You can use these tools to level-up your journaling and note-taking game to become more productive and successful.

Reach out to me with any questions you may have.

Kelly

———————————————————————-

Looking for a dynamic speaker for your event? • Kelly Croy is an author, speaker and educator. Want to learn more? Send me an email. • Sign-up for Kelly’s Newsletter. Listen to Kelly’s other podcast The Wired Educator Podcast with over 150 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 

 

 

 

Posted on

FFP 025: The Six Demands of Self Care

Taking Care of Yourself Allows You to Take Care and Lead Others

In this episode of The Future Focused Podcast, you will learn how to answer the six demands of self-care to become a better leader and live a better life.

As Katie Reed, a very wise individual, once said, “Self care is giving the world the best of you, not what is left of you.”  

In my last episode of focused on frustration and overwhelm and I discussed the five people you need in your life to combat it. 

In this episode I want to focus on what YOU can do. 

Self care is a real thing, just as Katie’s wise words remind us, for if we do not take very good care of ourselves, our beaten, worn, exhausted, anxious, self will be unable and unfit to take care of all those we love, serve, and lead. 

Self care demands knowledge of the self. We cannot take care of what we do not know nor understand. 

Many of you are purchasing Christmas presents this time of year; I also hope you will consider my book Along Came a Leader as a gift for yourself, a colleague, and administrator, and a family member this holiday season. It’s available on Amazon. It was a work of love. I am so proud of it. Level-up your leadership. Discover the 8 core attributes of leadership and how to put them work to impact lives and lead. We need leaders. If you’ve already read it, I hope you will leave a review. 

I also encourage you to follow me on Instagram between now and Christmas Day because I am sharing lots of my artwork. I am drawing a Santa Claus every day and posting the speed-painting video of me drawing it, which is so much fun to watch, alongside the art. You can only find it on my Instagram.

Looking for a dynamic speaker for your event? • Kelly Croy is an author, speaker and educator. Want to learn more? Send me an email. • Sign-up for Kelly’s Newsletter. Listen to Kelly’s other podcast The Wired Educator Podcast with over 148 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 

Posted on

FFP 023: The Four Essential Actions of Leadership

The Future Focused Podcast Returns for Season 2

This twenty-third episode of The Future Focused Podcast is the start of our second season. This episode focuses on The Four Essential Actions of Leadership.

Eleven minutes and forty seconds of pure “let’s level-up our leadership and design a dynamic lifestyle.” Buckle-up as I share the absolute transformational power of The Four Essential Actions of Leadership. They’ll take you to the next level, but be cautioned: these actions take practice, courage, and skill, and our best developed over time with reflection . The first action is so easy, but the other three are tough, and the fourth separates leaders from everyone else.

You are going to love this episode. It’s note-taking worthy. Share it out, replay, recommend, and subscribe.

I also hope you will consider my book Along Came a Leader as a gift for yourself, a colleague, and administrator, and a family member this holiday season. It’s available on Amazon. It was a work of love. I am so proud of it. Level-up your leadership. Discover the 8 core attributes of leadership and how to put them work to impact lives and lead. We need leaders. If you’ve already read it, I hope you will leave a review. 

I also encourage you to follow me on Instagram between now and Christmas Day because I am sharing lots of my artwork. I am drawing a Santa Claus every day and posting the speed-painting video of me drawing it, which is so much fun to watch, alongside the art. You can only find it on my Instagram.

 

————————————————————————————————–

Looking for a dynamic speaker for your event? • Kelly Croy is an author, speaker and educator. Want to learn more? Send me an email. • Sign-up for Kelly’s Newsletter. Listen to Kelly’s other podcast The Wired Educator Podcast with over 121 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 

Posted on

Eleven Ways to End Feeling Not Good Enough

Frustration and Overwhelm are Not Okay

We live in a time when frustration and overwhelm are not only rampant, but they are accepted as normal feelings and talked about as a badge of honor, or as evidence of being a hard worker.

Q: “How’s it going today?”

A: “I am so busy! It’s crazy. I am completely overwhelmed with the number of emails and work. I’m not sure if I’ll ever get in front of it. Same thing at home. I have to be so many places tonight.”

Isn’t the above accepted as normal banter?

Listen, frustration and overwhelm are not okay.

How we talk to ourselves matters. How we talk about ourselves matters. We must be intentional with how we speak about ourselves, our jobs, and our lives.

Frustration and overwhelm will not end by executing an enormous number of hours of work. Frustration and overwhelm will end when we interrupt how we are thinking, change the way we talk about work and life, and change what we take action on and prioritize.

Our brains are taking in a tremendous amount of messages from television, social media, interactions with others, main stream media and a variety of other sources. A good portion of these messages are manipulated in ways that create an inaccurate baseline of self value. Likes, followers, shares, filtered photos, editing apps, and other variables enhance a false narrative of normal. It would appear as if everyone is fit, always looks great, has more money, buys nicer cars, travels to exotic places, and is always happy. A part of us knows the reality that this isn’t really the case, but there it is in front of us again and again, like waves on a beach beating down on us.

Too many people, young and old, are feeling Not Good Enough.

How can we put An End to Not Feeling Good Enough?

  1. We need to limit our social media consumption.
  2. Interrupt what we focus on. Get an understanding that almost none of it is real or matters anyway.
  3. Change how we talk to ourselves. Journal some positive things to plant in your mind. Create a running list of positives to focus on in certain situations and especially before bed.
  4. Get our bodies moving. Especially when we are feeling beat down.
  5. Build a network of friends that include a truth teller, an encourager, a coach, and a friend. Be these for others too.
  6. Control what we are putting into us. That includes foods, music, books, drinks, thoughts, drugs, media, stories, and more.
  7. Change the story we tell about ourselves. Both at work and at home! Focus on what you are accomplishing and the positives of your day. Don’t exaggerate. They are there!
  8. Make gratitude a regular part of your self talk and outward talk. Make a list. Read it.
  9. Say “not right now” to new tasks and responsibilities and until you really have time for them.
  10. Make a list of what makes you feel good and what doesn’t. Schedule more of the former.
  11. Embrace mindfulness. Take a minute to stop what you are doing. Smile. Breathe. Limit your thoughts.

I don’t want others to feel not good enough. I don’t want to feel that way. I don’t want my family to feel that way. I don’t want you to feel that way. It’s not going to happen accidentally; we must start being intentional about it. Catch yourself talking outwardly or inwardly in negative ways and correct it immediately with a new version; that is habit interrupting and rebuilding. Catch yourself feeling negatively and immediately change what you are thinking about, and if you can, what you are doing and where you are at. Get in front of this and change your life.

I look forward to your thoughts and questions in the comment section below.

Kelly

PS. Season 2 of The Future Focused Podcast will start in a few days. I hope you will subscribe and listen.

Looking for a dynamic speaker for your event? • Kelly Croy is an author, speaker and educator. Want to learn more? Send me an email. • Sign-up for Kelly’s Newsletter. Listen to Kelly’s other podcast The Wired Educator Podcast with over 121 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram