Category Archives: Productivity

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Introducing The Future Focused Podcast

I've Started a New Podcast Focused on Leadership, Productivity, & Designing a Dynamic Life

I am excited to announce a new project that I have been working on for quite awhile. I have started a podcast titled The Future Focused Podcast. 

(I have been podcasting for three years now as the host of The Wired Educator Podcast. It has been a joy to interview amazing educators around the world and share their stories and successes with other educational leaders.  It has been featured on iTune’s “What’s Hot!” list of podcasts and has received numerous recognition from educational institutions and leaders as one of the top influential educational podcasts, including a rave review and recommendation from ISTE. What I am most proud of though is that The Wired Educator Podcast has really made an impact in education. That was my goal. So, I fully plan to continue hosting the podcast and interviewing amazing educators. It is also a lot of fun to host the show.)

The Future Focused Podcast is brand new and officially starts this January, however, you can sneak an early listen here. The Future Focused Podcast is aimed at people who want to level-up their leadership both professionally and personally. The podcast will be under 20 minutes and focus on an actionable message that inspires, challenges, and provides valuable content to help you make the most of your life.

Since publishing my book, Along Came a Leader: A Guide to Personal & Professional Leadership, I have recognized an even greater need to help people become a stronger leaders in new forms of media. Many people who need this message do not read books or simply would benefit from micro-doses of audio inspiration and tools. So, the idea for the Future Focused podcast was formed.

I kicked around a lot of ideas for the title of the podcast, but finally settled on Future Focused because that is what leaders are about; they want to become their best-self and help others along this same path.

The Future Focused Podcast will help you: level-up your leadership, design a dynamic life, become your best-self, secure a set of unshakeable skills, inspire you to become a life-long-learner, and make incremental, but consistent growth each and every day.

I hope you will: take a listen to the podcast, subscribe, leave a review and share it with others. 

I don’t just want to wish you a happy new year, I want to help you make it happen.

~Kelly

 

 

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Seven Ways to Address Teen Mobile Device Addiction

I just read an article in USA Today citing a report from Common Sense Media that 50% of teens say they are addicted to their mobile devices.

I am sure if you think about it, you would most likely agree with those finding as well. It seems everyone has their head in their device.

So, what do we do about it?

Here’s my advice:

  1. Model the use of mobile devices that you wish to see. They are watching us.
  2. Limit their alone time with their devices.
  3. Encourage “creating with their device” over consuming with their device. Work with them to create movies and other creations.
  4. Enforce bedtimes for devices. That’s right, the device is put away at a certain hour for the night and it does not go with them to their bedrooms.
  5. Establish device-free zones and device-free times. (e.g. No device in the bathroom or during dinner.)
  6. Have them show you what they do on the device. Sit with them. Remember that time you spent with them when they were little? Get that back.
  7. Create alternatives for your children and play with them. (Board games, walks, workouts, any type of social interaction will trump device consumption. They grow up so fast!)

These seven methods to help address teen mobile device addiction may be a little challenging to set-up at first. I recommend not trying to implement all seven at once. Start with one, but be firm.

Ultimately, begin this conversation with your child using a mobile device regardless of their age.

Technology is awesome when it is used well, and it can be destructive to families and lives when it is used poorly. Teach your children and students to use their devices properly.

This same advice can also be helpful to you.

Kelly Croy

Inspirational Speaker & Performance Artist

www.KellyCroy.com

Click Here to email Kelly. 

1-800-831-4825 

Invite Kelly to speak at your event.

 

 

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Just a Minute

I believe people completely undervalue the power of just one minute.

Sixty seconds may not seem like much, but you may be surprised at how such a seemingly insignificant amount of time can start a process of transformation.

The biggest obstacle of any task is truly starting. A minute offers exactly that, a start.

Sixty seconds can seem like an eternity when standing in a check-out line, being placed on hold on the telephone, or waiting for you turn in traffic.

Put the power of sixty seconds to work for you.
Use that sixty seconds to start folding some laundry, make that phone call you’ve been putting off, make a to-do list, drop down on the floor for some push-ups, or pen a line in your first book.

Winston Churchill wisely reminded us that, “Perfection is the enemy of progress.” Allow a mere minute to inspire you to just begin. Understand it will be a rough, imperfect, attempt at the start of something, but still the start of something that will grow into a task completed.

You may find once you begin that you actually have more than that minute or that minutes really do add up.

The next time you try to tell yourself you never have time to do the things you want to do, remind yourself, you can always, always, always find a minute, and that a mere minute is sometimes longer than you think.

In fact, this post probably took you around 40 seconds to read.

Kelly Croy  • Speaker, Artist and Educator • Invite Kelly to speak at your event!

www.KellyCroy.com  •  info@kellycroy.com  •  1-800-831-4825 

 

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The Ultimate Answers to the 4 Most Frustrating Questions on Achieving Goals

Some people make a joke of goals and resolutions, some hate them, and some obsess over them. There are some, I hope, that are in between these extremes.

Regardless of where you stand, I am sure you would like to improve your life in some areas. Maybe you are unsure whether setting goals and resolutions is worth it. Perhaps you are someone that keeps setting the same goals and resolutions each year and feels frustrated.

Wherever you are, whatever you are thinking, I hear you.  I want to help. I want to share with you some insight to living an amazing year.

So let me share with you now some powerful insight to goals and resolutions:

1. Should I set goals each year?

Yes. You absolutely should set goals. It really doesn’t matter if you do it on New Year’s Eve, your birthday, or the first day of vacation. All that matters is that you set some goals that will hold you somewhat accountable to becoming a better self. If you are new at goal setting, keep it simple and write down just a few.

2. What goals should I set?

Well, everybody is different. Setting goals is really like your future self speaking to you and telling you what to avoid and what to focus on. Goal setting is really a time of reflection on the type of person you want to be. It’s an opportunity to take inventory of your health, happiness, finances, relationships and more. Just like corporations sit down the most important leaders of the organization to plan for the year, this is your time to have a meeting with yourself and share some facts, numbers, goals, and ideas.

I suggest asking my three favorite questions: What should I stop doing? What should I start doing? What should I keep doing? These are powerful questions.

Setting goals isn’t just about you. When you improve, everything around you improves.

3. How can I make goal setting work when it’s failed me in the past, and failed just about everyone I know?

The reason people don’t achieve their goals comes down to one single concept: consistency. Anyone can diet for a day? Some can even go running, once. But to do it every day is the challenge. You have to make yourself accountable for both your actions and inactions.

You need to build habits, daily habits, of consistency. Do a little bit every day. It adds up and eventually you will see results.

To build up your consistency you need to build up your tenacity. Tenacity is simply this fire within you about WHY you want what you want. You build that fire by thinking about those you love around you that will benefit from your actions and suffer from your inactions.

The life you want won’t magically arrive via FedEx or a prescription; it will be built slowly with consistent habits and an unquenchable fire to improve.

4. How can I keep myself accountable?

If you can find an accountability partner in a spouse, friend, or co-worker, then do it. Make sure it is someone who has achieved the results you want to replicate in your life. Make certain they will be able to check in with you daily. If you can afford to hire an accountability partner for one of your goals, then do it. We would all have personal trainers, personal chefs, and counselors if we could afford it. I will be coaching a select few people this year to help them with their goals for 2017. If you are interested please contact me.

The next best solution, I believe, is scheduling an accountability meeting with yourself each month. That’s twelve meetings a year.  Use your birth day number to remember the day you will meet. Since I was born on July 28th, I review my goals and resolutions each month on the 28th. It goes on the calendar just like an important meeting, because it is.

My monthly accountability check-in involves a few important elements. It’s more involved than just reviewing my goals. I review my goals EVERY day. It involves measurement. It involves reality. It involves adjustment. What do I mean by this? Well, if I have set financial goals or fitness goals then this time each month is a review of how well I have done on some sort of measurement scale. I document my progress. I bring others in to validate when needed.  Finally, I figure out what is working, and what is not and readjust my plan. This last step is important because you can’t keep doing the same things if you aren’t getting the desired results. Sometimes I make a call to a friend during this time and talk to them about how my goals are coming along and ask for advice.

Accountability is the trick. How many days in the last thirty did I work on this goal? How much have I gained or lost? How would I rate my commitment over the last month? How can I do better? And again… What should I stop doing? What should I start doing? What should I keep doing?

Set some goals if you haven’t already. Schedule a meeting with yourself once a month on your birth date. Measure your progress. Readjust your process.

If you do act on these, you WILL see measurable gains.

Should I hire a coach? Yes, but only if you can afford it. You can accomplish much with the right resources. (If you are interested in working with me as your coach this year, please send me an email.)

Kelly Croy  • Speaker, Artist and Educator • Invite Kelly to speak at your event!
www.KellyCroy.com   •  1-800-831-4825 
 
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6 Things Olympic Athletes Do That We Should Implement

Photo 1465487031582 bbc9519cc957

Image by David Schap

The Olympics are amazing, but while I am utterly amazed I think most of us still really have no clue to how incredible these athletes truly are.  I really like comedian Bill Murray’s recent tweet, “Every Olympic event should include one average person competing for reference.”

What makes these athletes so incredible? Well, I won’t argue that genetically they have a lot going for them, but you would be a fool to underestimate how much they do mentally and physically to help themselves stand out and excel.

Olympic athletes have amazing focus and discipline. What can we learn from these incredible athletes to help us live better lives?

Olympic athletes: 

1) Visualize Success: Olympic athletes don’t just think positively, the speak positively using affirmations and verbal mantras and goals. They try to involve all five senses in this visulaization. They do this regularly. They literally see and practice success. I write about this in my book.

2) Have great coaches: Maybe you can’t afford a coach, but you can afford a book, a CD, or conference attendance. What resource can you obtain now to help you advance?

3) Don’t Believe in Life Balance: Olympic athletes are ‘all in.’  They realize sacrifices must be made. This may not work for you and me on a regular basis, but from time to time we need to ‘fully commit’ to realize and accomplish a life goal. I’m sure you can recall a time you did this and it made the difference. What needs more attention in your life?

4) Invest the time needed. Olympic athletes do not “find time” to work out and they certainly don’t “try.” These athletes train and schedule the time they need to practice. During that time they are distraction-free and focused. When they succeed, it is not a surprise; they were expecting success because they have been training for it. They leave the floor sopping wet with the sweat of their labor. Where do you need to invest time, and how & when you plan to schedule it?

5) Surround themselves with people who make them better. Olympic athletes are successful because they surround themselves with helpful people. When they put themselves out there, the people around them ‘get it’ and support them. The people in their lives are encouragers. They want their friend to be successful. Who in your life is making you feel like your dreams are silly, holding you back, is unsupportive? Spend less time with them, and more time with people supporting your dream.

6) Eat like ‘what they put in their body’ really matters. Most of us can do better with what we are eating. I know I can. Some people think that this doesn’t impact their work, creativity, parenting, energy, sleep, etc., but they’re wrong. How can we be just a tad more intentional about what we are putting into our bodies to advance our output?

There are many more ways that Olympians live differently than the average person, but by applying any of these six I know we will live life just a little bit better.  Join me.

I also hope you will consider adding my book, Along Came a Leader, to your list too. Maybe you can add it to your “cart” the next time you are shopping on Amazon.

Kelly Croy 

Inspirational Speaker & Performance Artist

www.KellyCroy.com 

info@kellycroy.com

1-800-831-4825 

Interested in having Kelly speak at your event?

Please send me information on:

 

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Conversations and a Gathering of Great Minds

Bag and hands by Alejandro Escamilla

Image by Alejandro Escamilla

I recently had breakfast with an old friend at a restaurant. He told me he meets there with a group of men regularly, and they talk about education, kids, curriculum, and the world. They even had a little brass plaque on wall with their initials engraved on it.  It was early, but the conversation put my mind in the right mode of thinking for the entire day. New perspectives were shared. I saw topics in a new light, and, well, I shared some of my ideas too.

Today, I was listening to a few minutes of a show titled GPS on CNN. I caught it just by chance. Just one of those moments where I was getting a snack when I shouldn’t have, and the TV was on in the kitchen.  What a great show! I’m not sure I am intelligent enough to grasp everything it covered, but I enjoyed the variety and richness of discussion. The show focused on solutions and big ideas.

I was inspired by the host’s guest too, “Homeless Billionaire” Nicolas Berggruen, who has recently  started a ‘think tank” where the top minds of the world will gather and well… think. He is building an institute that focuses on free speech, curiosity, and diversity. Nicholas calls this institute a “secular monestary” where scholars will live, work, host meetings, and talk about a range of topics from technology, philosophy to government, and more! He says he wants to give the world a place where people can have conversations.

These two events, my friend’s gathering at breakfast and the CNN story, are the same concept at different levels. Both groups, one big and one small, are focused on getting great minds together and having a conversation.

Are we doing this? Are we having discussions? This is more than liking pictures and status updates. These are face-to-face conversations in real time. This is setting aside a time to meet in person, spend time together, talk and then collaborate on solutions.

I was fortunate to have been invited to Berlin, Germany this summer to do just that with amazing educators from all around the world at the Apple Distinguished Educator Global Institute 2016. It was amazing and beneficial. This was thinking big on a big scale. This should happen often and so should smaller discussions too, at smaller levels.

How can we do more of this?  How can you or I get a group of thinkers together to talk and collaborate?

I challenge you this week to do just that. Start something. Join something. If you accomplish it online, well, I guess that is okay,  but if you can find a way to meet in person I think you will see many added benefits.

As an English teacher I am reminded of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and G. K. Chester meeting at a pub regularly for a talk. They called themselves The Inlkings. What came from these “talks” is some of my favorite literature and essays.

On my podcast I recently interviewed two authors about a trip they took home after a conference. They rode together in a car and talked. From this conversation sprang forth the idea for a book which was recently published on a very important topic.

These ‘think tanks’ or conversations are important. While they of course can “just happen” from time to time, imagine the results if we actually planned a few.

Kelly Croy  • Speaker, Artist and Educator • Invite Kelly to speak at your event!
www.KellyCroy.com  •  info@kellycroy.com  •  1-800-831-4825 

Please send me information on:

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Five Steps to Building Leadership in Your Organization

Fill in the moat KC speaker motivate team

Low productivity and morale can surface within any organization, and it’s really not that difficult to get everyone back on track. Every workplace is different, and there isn’t always a one-method-fixes-all solution. In this post I’m offering five great techniques to implement to get your organization from complaining to leading.

1) Show You Care: If you want to end morale issues in your organization and build leaders, then you need to build a rapport with your team. When you show your team kindness, that you care, and develop a genuine and consistent rapport, morale issues will fade. In its place, you will find team members looking out for one another, representing your agency with pride, and leadership at every transaction. Show you care.

2) Provide Leadership Opportunities: A lot of people read leadership books, watch clips on leadership, and talk about leadership, however, they don’t always put to action what they’ve read, heard, or discussed. If you want your organization to be full of solid leaders, you have to provide team members with leadership opportunities.  That’s right, you have to give them the authority to lead. You can’t expect a perfect outcome either, and I suppose that’s why a lot of people are afraid to let others take the lead on a project, but that is what it takes to build leaders, genuine opportunities and responsibilities. You can always sit a distant second-chair or check-in and let them know you can mentor and counsel, but you have to allow real opportunities with real consequences. You will be happy with the short term results, and you will be elated with the long-term impact on your organization. Provide leadership opportunities.

3) Take Action: The biggest morale buster in any organization is when committees are formed, meetings are held, and surveys are taken and then there is no follow-up or action.  It’s frustrating.  You might as well send a handwritten note to each member saying, “I don’t care what you think.”  Yep, it’s that bad.  If you ask for someone’s feedback, honor it.  Even if you can’t provide what they’ve requested, let them know that the feedback was important and it helped shape the outcome. Let them know they are important. When they offer feedback that you don’t like, don’t go to their supervisor trying to “get to the bottom of it” and smear some make-up over the blemish. Be thankful that they were honest and upfront. Don’t surround yourself with people who only tell you what you want to hear.  Leaders take action.

4) Reward Solutions: You will find what you look for, and when you reward it, it will grow. If you look for team members leading and making solutions to problems you will find them, and when you reward them with praise and recognition you will see this type of behavior grow and spread. Recognizing others is one of the most important actions of a leader, and recognition is also one of the most fun. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to recognize either. A small personal touch can go a long way and screams, “You are awesome! We are so lucky to have you!” Others will notice and lead similarly. Reward solutions.

5) Fill-in the Moat: There cannot be a moat between administration and staff. There is no them. If your organization feels that there is a separation of employees, there will always be complaining and morale issues. Just because you say there is no separation, doesn’t mean there isn’t a separation. Get to know your team. Listen to them. Your organization needs to adopt a team leadership model that clearly outlines what everyone’s job is to benefit the team, not themselves. When everyone understands they are a contributor and feels like they are a contributor, and especially when they are recognized as a contributor, morale begins its upward swing and all areas begin to shine again. Shrink the separation between team members.

When you work with a team, and when you make building leadership a priority, you will see morale improve, productivity rise, and problems decrease. In times of accomplishment, leadership made the difference. In times of strife, a lack of leaders is the culprit. Always work on building a culture of leadership.

Kelly Croy 

Inspirational Speaker & Performance Artist

www.KellyCroy.com 

info@kellycroy.com

1-800-831-4825 

 
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A List of The Most Influential Books to Read

I love to read.  I’m one of those people that has more books than I have time, yet I always reserve a portion of my day for reading. Reading is my workout for my brain. 

I have a stack of books that I am looking forward to reading later, a list I am reading now, a wish-list of books to checkout and I am always adding to my “books to read” list in my journal from the recommendations of friends and people I admire.

I am thankful for my middle school English teacher, Mrs. Romick for providing me with a list of books that made me fall in love with reading. I am thankful for my mother for being a great model of the importance of reading. I am thankful for my father for surrounding me with good books. Books change lives.

I wanted to share with you a list of books that I believe are life-changers. I have read every one and recommended them to others many, many times. Perhaps you can add them to your list or order a copy as a gift for a friend. Books are wonderful.

Here is a list of some of the most influential books in my life: Click to Read More