I have been keeping a journal and setting goals for well over twenty years. I have learned a lot about goal setting and accomplishing resolutions. I have discovered some really good methods and strategies for accomplishing goals, and I have also learned some things that will almost surely set you up for failure.

One of the worst resolutions you can make, I have discovered, is the “every-day” resolution. You know, when you commit that you are going to do something EVERY single day. I have tried this so many times and failed. I know very few people who have accomplished an EVERY day goal. The ones that have are certainly proud, but I question whether it was truly worth it or not.

EVERY day goals can create a lot of stress and pressure, but more importantly they can spoil the process of building good habits and ruin your chances for progress. Why? Well, once you miss, and it is likely you will, the miss will derail the entire goal and you will quit all together in frustration.

Quite often the negative feeling of missing, especially after a streak of awesome success, is so powerful it feels like a massive failure and people surrender. Rather than celebrating the 99 days of 100 we ate well, or ran, or wrote, or did some other amazing streak of awesomeness, we focus our attention on the ONE day we miss. The small miss or error looks bigger than the streak. Weird isn’t it?

I would be great if we could be consistent enough to succeed perfectly in doing the right thing EVERY day, but psychologically and more importantly for better results and mental wellness we should strive for ‘most’ or not missing two in a row, or building in a break or cheat day. By doing this, you will stay on track and get results.

So, by all means make resolutions and set goals, just don’t strive for daily perfection and end up derailing the improvement in your life you seek. Give yourself the grace to make adjustments and stay on track.

Here are seven things you should do instead:

• Set Goals.
• Don’t strive for Daily Perfection.
• Build in a Cheat Day or Off Day.
• Don’t miss two days in a row.
• Try to make the majority of days in a week, not all of them.
• Track your progress on a calendar, journal of spreadsheet.
• Stay positive and make it fun.

~Kelly

Kelly Croy is an author, speaker, and educator.  Send Kelly an email. • Sign-up for Kelly’s Newsletter. Listen to Kelly’s  The Wired Educator Podcast with over 215 episodes. • Kelly has written two books, Along Came a Leader a book on personal and professional leadership, and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness . • Follow Kelly Croy on: Facebook. •  Twitter.  •  and Instagram 

Four Awesome Ideas to Level-Up and Design a Better Life!

Hey everyone!

This is my favorite time of the year. I love the fall, and I love Thanksgiving. It’s great to be around family, friends, football and food.

I try to bring positvity and kindness to the world to help others through the hardships and stress they are experiencing in their lives. My life is far from perfect, but I cannot imagine a better time in history to live. Seriously! I need reminded of this myself from time to time. Too often we focus on the negative. That can be contagious. While I am a super-positive guy, things wear me down too. That’s why we have our circles and check in on one another. When you are up, check on everyone else and vice versa.

I hope this newlsetter brings something useful and positive to you.

Something great is truly around the next corner for you, now here are 4 Ideas to Knock Around:

1. Quote I’m Reflecting on: “You are responsible for you: the good, the bad, and the ugly. You must own all of it.” ~Callie Bundy This quote speaks to me! We cannot count on other people, outside events, things, the future or anything else to change our situation. We cannot even be hopeful of that! We are responsible for our happiness, how we feel, what we have, and everything else, and we need to own all of that. Start now. (Share this on Twitter)​​
2. A New Facebook Group for My New Book: Social media doesn’t interest me much anymore, but the private Facebook Group I created for my second book Unthink Before Bed sure was a lot of fun. It started with 25 people who all ended up being named in the book and then grew beyond 450 members for the launch of the book. It was a lot of fun and so helpful as I worked on the book. Well, I’m changing the name of the group and announcing a new children’s book that I’m working on. The new group is titled: Start With an Awesome Attitude, a book by Kelly Croy. You can join by clicking here to request to be a member. The working title for my new book is Start With an Awesome Attitude, and yes, it is all about attitude, and yes, my dog Jedi will be a part of it. Attitude was the first chapter of my first book Along Came a Leader, and now the subject of this fun children’s book. Joining the private Facebook group will give you a behind-the-scenes peek at my progress and some opportunities to participate, and you might even make it inside the book. It’s fun. Join this private Facebook group by clicking here. (Share this on Twitter)​​
3. Speaking at Cherry Street Mission this Christmas: I have been invited to speak at the Cherry Street Mission in Toledo, Ohio this Christmas. I am blessed each year to speak at schools, corporations, organizations, fundraisers and other events, but this opportunity to speak at the Cherry Street Mission gives me an incredible feeling of gratitude and happiness. The Cherry Street Mission feeds people, clothes people, and helps the neediest people in our communities. As we all prepare to gather and give thanks, I hope you will consider sending The Cherry Street Mission some words of thanks, encouragement, and maybe even a small donation to help them make a difference. Click here to learn more about The Cherry Street Mission and their important work. (Share this on Twitter)​
4. 10×10 Grid Tracker: I was recently inspired to created a simple 10×10 grid in my journal to help keep myself accountable. I wrote down ten simple habits I wanted to track for ten days. That’s it. Well, the results were less than impressive. I was NOT very consistent, so I did it for another ten days. I did better, but I still missed more than I wanted. I am now on my third stretch but making more improvement. I encourage you to give it a shot. Again, these were pretty easy habits, but ones that would benefit myself and others. I “thought” I was doing them okay, but now I “know” I need to do better. Knowing what you need to work on is a game-changer.

I hope a few of you will hit reply to this email and share your thoughts. I answer every email eventually.

Keep being awesome.

Thank you for being a part of this newsletter. I hope you will share it with a colleague, family member, or friend.

Kelly

​This link will take you to how we can connect: https://linktr.ee/kellycroy​

The words we choose have incredible power.

It does not matter whether we say them out loud or to ourselves. Our words attach powerful meanings and begin to pour the foundation of a belief system. Each time they are repeated or reinforced it is like another layer added to a fortified wall. In time, our words build an impressive structure of belief that becomes difficult to tear down.

My question to you: Is the structure you are building helpful or hurtful?

Many will fail to choose an answer and claim that what they say is merely an observation. To that, I declare, “Baloney!”

Our words can heal and harm. Our words can inspire and depress. Our words can unite or divide.

As a teacher, coach and parent I have seen the power of words impact lives in so many different situations that there is no doubt to me of their immense power. I’ve seen a coach talk an athlete into standing two inches taller and performing at a level beyond anything they had previously exhibited. I have seen teachers direct a student toward an opportunity that previously seemed unobtainable. I have seen parents shape their children with their loving and nurturing words to create a work of beauty within an environment of chaos.

And, I’ve seen the opposite.

I’ve seen people beaten down by words of judgment, limited and enslaved by negativity, and sent down a path of depression and sadness by the words people use. I’ve seen families divided, teams derailed, and the culture of organizations fissured by a repetition of poorly chosen and repeated words.

Yes, words.

Too often, incredibly volatile words are carelessly tossed around and detonated without any care of the devastation on the intended target let alone the collateral damage they ensue.

Our words for ourselves and each other need to be chosen with the same care and intentionality as a poet, lyricist, novelist, and orator.

When they are not, they need to be corrected. Self-corrected or other, but they cannot stand.

The organizations, families, colleagues and friends I admire most have one thing in common, how well they speak of others. I’ll bet the same is true for you. Think about those you admire. Think about how they speak of others. Am I wrong?

One organization I have great admiration for stands out significantly in how they refer and talk of one another with awe, wonder, and admiration. This is truly an organization to be a proud member of primarily because how they refer to one another as “amazing, distinguished, rockstar, wonderful, and brilliant,” and they mean every word. Who would not want to be part of that?! They see the best in others and call it out. Each time they do, it grows. It grows!

I have heard of successful sports teams, corporations and historical leaders forbidding negative talk in their locker rooms, workspace, boardrooms and environment. They know it works, and they have the means to put a stop to it.

We can’t wait for someone to come along and forbid us of using negative talk when talking about ourselves or others. It’s not going to happen, and we wouldn’t want it if it did. What we need to do is make the choice, the disciplined choice, to end talking negatively. Quit talking poorly of others. Quit talking poorly of ourselves. Correcting our words when we do.

Why? Why must we watch our mouth and guard our mind to eliminate negative words?

Two reasons:

1. Our words become contagious.
2. Our words become our reality.

Do not allow your poorly chosen words to lessen yourself or anyone else.

Make a difference in the lives of others and yourself with the words you choose with great intention and repetition.

~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 212 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader a book on personal and professional leadership, and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness for your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram