Tag Archives: author

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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

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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 

 

 

 

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FFP 024: Frustration and Overwhelm

Frustration and Overwhelm are Not Okay! Here's what to do about it.

In this episode of The Future Focused Podcast I talk about how and why frustration and overwhelm impacts so many, and more importantly, I talk about what we can do about it.

I have met too many people who talk about frustration and overwhelm with a sense of pride, a badge of honor, and as if it is okay. Why is that?

Frustration and overwhelm are NOT okay.

I’m not here to tell you that you’re doing it wrong. I’m not here to tell you that you’re living life wrong. I’m not here to be the expert. I am here to get you fired-up and to share some helpful ways to confront and conquer frustration and overwhelm. I also want to challenge your thinking and help you out.  

Frustration and overwhelmed or not OK. You should be leaving work proud of all that you did to make a difference. At the end of the day you should be proud of the way you lead your family. You should not go to bed nor wake up with regrets.

 Frustration and overwhelm the deplete us of the energy we need to raise our families, chase and fulfill  our dreams.  Frustration and overwhelm is a thief of our time. It’s a thief of our focus. It can create depression and anxiety if not addressed.

This episode will help you combat frustration overwhelm, level-up your leadership and design a more dynamic life. You will feel better about yourself too.

You will leave this episode feeling better about your day and the work you face. You also will look at your friends, coworkers and family in completely new ways! You are going to love this episode.

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 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 

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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.

 

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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 

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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 

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Where? One of Life’s Most Important Questions.

We do not have control of when we live, but we do have much control over where we live?

”Where?” may be one of the most important questions you will answer in your life.

Real Estate agents’ mantra has always been, “Location. Location. Location.”

This past week alone, I watched a nation, perhaps a globe, celebrate and agonize where an NBA sensation chose to spend the next chapter of his life. I learned of several friends and colleagues choosing new career paths in new locations. I traveled for hours and vacationed with my family in a location much warmer and exotic than where we choose to live and work.

Where really does matter!

Would Steve Jobs have had the same innovative influence if had lived in Kentucky?
Would Thomas Jefferson have written with such passion in Europe?
Would Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. have spoken with such eloquence and marched in the streets of Toronto?
Perhaps, but “where” was a muse and influence for so many who have made lasting contributions, accomplishments and impact.
Do you have a location that moves you to act? Create? Do?

Options are wealth!

The Wright Brothers built their plane in Ohio, but they took it to North Carolina for the wind.
The Beatles took their music to America to become Rock & Roll legends.
Having the ability to travel, visit or relocate is in itself a form of wealth, a form of education, and a form of inspiration. New locations can spur creative ideas, aid wisdom, and lessen woes.

The internet helps.

One could argure that ‘where’ matters less due to the internet, and there is a lot of truth to that. The internet equals the playing field for many entrepreneurs and creatives. Many actors and comedians today are being found on YouTube, who years earlier would have needed to make a pilgrimage to Hollywood or New York City. But… the internet is still a location. It is in fact a “where.” You need be there to be discovered.

For centuries America has been been known to the world as “The Land of Opportunity.” It is certainly one of the most important “wheres” in modern history. Will that ideal and trend continue? What is it about America that has made it such an incredible land of opportunity?

Are you ‘where’ you need to be?
Are you intentional about ‘where’ you are?
What makes a place a special place for creatives, learners, and doers?

Some doers of deeds simply made their “where.” They created their special place from an extra room. A spare bedroom becomes a studio or office. Their ‘where’ was a gallon of paint and a desk.

Location does not do it alone, though. How many others lived in those same areas, at the same time, and did little or nothing at all?

You not only control where you live, you also control what you do. You need both.

Perhaps the only move you need to make, is inside you.
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Kelly Croy is a speaker, author, and educator. Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader, that delves deeper into six core leadership elements. •  Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.   •   Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.   •   Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 

Do you need a speaker for your event? Please consider the art and words of Kelly Croy. 

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The ‘Tom-Hanks-Trick’ to Productivity, and a Challenge for Us All.

I once read that the actor Tom Hanks likes to hold himself accountable for his writing by making an “X” on an old-school calendar each day that he writes. He likes to make as long a chain of connecting “Xs” as possible. Obviously the longest chain produces the most writing, but more importantly, the longest chain also reinforces the positive habit he wants, writing.

I believe the same idea of positive reinforcement can hold true for challenges. I have always enjoyed a good challenge that leads to productivity or self improvement. I guess I am a bit competitive.

This month I have a challenge for myself and a challenge for you.

My challenge: I really want to strengthen my habit of blogging more regularly, so I am going to blog on one of my two sites (kellycroy.com and wirededucator.com) every day this month. I am hoping that at the end of the month I develop a habit of blogging more frequently and forcing myself to schedule the time to write, and get over the small obstacle in my brain that keeps telling me I need everythig to be “just so” in order to write. I want my writing to be a part of my life, and a part of my day. That’s my challenge; I will post a blog every day for the entire month.

Your challenge: I’d like you to read my post every day and leave some feedback if you can. I think that would be incredibly helpful to me, and I hope the posts I write are incredibly helpful to you. You can also challenge yourself to writing every day in your journal (start one) as it has served me incredibly well as a tool for increased productivity and creativity. Or… perhaps there is something else that you’ve been wanting to start doing that you just haven’t gotten around to yet, well… I challenge you! Begin. Let me be push you needed.

I think challenges of doing things are much more powerful than challenges to deny yourself something, like dieting. I hope you will use this challenge to start something.

Worse case scenario for both of us: we don’t make the full thirty days, but we started. We tried. We did something. I know this, every transformation, novel, movie, project, art or idea that saw it’s way to fulfillment began with a very first action. I’m sure many were ugly, small, and shaky.

I have no idea if Tom Hanks really puts an “X” on a wall calendar every day that he writes, but sometimes the story is more powerful than the truth, and in this case the story motivated me, and perhaps I have now motivated you.

Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader, that delves deeper into six core leadership elements.

Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.   •   Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.   •   Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram

Do you need a speaker for your event? Please consider the art and words of Kelly Croy. 

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FFP 009: How to Build Your Wisdom

In this episode of The Future Focused Podcast Kelly outlines how you can further yourself down the path toward wisdom and become a better leader and live a better live.

Win 30 days of coaching with Kelly.

In this episode, Kelly will show you: 

  • the difference between intelligence and wisdom.
  • the true definition of wisdom.
  • a valuable insight he learned from Brian Kight from Focus 3.
  • how to become a better consumer of information.
  • how to apply what you are learning.
  • how to store and recall what you learn.
  • the importance of reflection.
  • the most important questions you can ask yourself.
  • how to accelerate yourself on the path of leadership & success, saving you years!

Mentioned in this podcast:

The notebook, aka the secret tool, Kelly used to achieve success and increase productivity: This is the notebook! Click here! I hope you order one right now and invest in yourself. I will be posting about great ways I use my journal to get things accomplished and level-up. You can share your ideas in the comments below.

Enter to win 30 Days of Free Coaching with Kelly Croy, by completing this short, simple form: https://goo.gl/forms/U3yvwiNXf4Fb6CmP2

Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader, that delves deeper into wisdom and the other 5 core leadership elements.

Brian Kight at Focus 3.

Kelly Croy

Inspirational Speaker & Performance Artist

www.KellyCroy.com

Click Here to email Kelly. 

1-800-831-4825 

Should I hire a coach? You can accomplish much with the right coach. I would be honored to work with you. (If you are interested in working with me as your coach this year, or would like to inquire about the process or investment, please send me an email.)

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FFP 006: Misconceptions of Work Life Balance

What You Need to Know to Achieve High Levels of Success

In this episode of the Future Focused Podcast, I focus in on the Misconceptions of Work/Life Balance.

So many people are being mislead about what it takes to be successful. If you truly want to get amazing results in your life you need to understand the commitment and sacrifices that you will need to make.

This podcast will be a real eye-opener for many. This episode will provide the mindset and tools you need to take another step in your journey to leveling up and designing a dynamic life.

Listen and find out how you can win a free, signed copy of my book, Along Came a Leader, and hear the teaser about next month’s give away.

Learn what the two “D’s” are to true work/life balance. It isn’t what you think.

Thanks for tuning in.

Mentioned in this podcast: 

Here’s the link to leaving an iTunes Review of this podcast, and once you do, email me and let me know you did, to enter yourself for a chance to win a copy of my book.

This is the link to the Tom Brady video I mentioned: https://www.facebook.com/tomvstime/

Books I am reading: 

My favorite read from last year: The Daily Stoic.

Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferriss

Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuck, and his new book, Crushing It! will be out this month.

Kelly Croy

Inspirational Speaker & Performance Artist

www.KellyCroy.com

Click Here to email Kelly. 

1-800-831-4825 

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.)