Tag Archives: church

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Get Out of Here!

Every time we leave town our problems shrink because our perspective grows. 

I had the pleasure this past week to leave town and visit family.

While I enjoyed: hanging out with relatives, good food, and exchanging fun stories, another blessing crossed my mind; it is a wonderful gift to change your location, routine and perspective.

The nine hours in the car wasn’t easy, but my wife and I really got to spend some time with one another. Physical discomfort of sitting for so long aside, there is a genuine importance to switching up your routine and literally getting away from the perspective from which you see the world the majority of the time.

As hard as I try to bring variety and a fresh perspective to my work and my family life, I fall into a routine. I see the same things. I do the same things. I talk about the same things. Most significantly, I observed, my approach to life becomes a bit routine.

Just being on the road allowed me to count my blessings and change my perspective as we encountered people who were: homeless, in distress, in trouble, sour to the world, and challenged in many unique ways. Our family has our own challenges too, but what we saw was a reality of life that we are typically spared from during our work and school week routines. We don’t encounter these harsher realities, or when we do it’s on the news and a bit distant. (Don’t even get me started on how our social media consumption literally and figuratively filters the world into a false ‘magical place of beauty and perfection.’)

We all need a change in perspective a little more frequently.

My biggest takeaway: The problems I thought were problems are not really problems.

I had more fun than I deserved with some amazing family, but I am also thankful for the needed change in perspective our travels highlighted.

Routines begin to narrow our focus ever so gradually until we have a pretty fixed mindset.

Every time we leave town our problems shrink because our perspective grows.

I challenge organizations to encourage visits to conferences and other organizations, even ones outside of their line of work, and to bring outsiders with powerful stories and uniques perspective into your organization. We need to share ideas and takeaways. We must consistently work to expand our perspective.

~Kelly

If you like what you’ve read, please share-out with our friends on social media and tag me. Don’t forget the #LeadEveryDay hashtag. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts.

Educator, Author, Keynote Speaker
Twitter: @kellycroy
Instagram: @kcroy
Website: kellycroy.com and wirededucator.com
Podcast: The Wired Educator Podcast
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I’ve written two books, Along Came a Leader a book on personal and professional leadership, and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness .

Send me an email. 

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Authenticity is Essential for Leaders!

The Future Focused Podcast Episode 29

In this episode of the Future Focused Podcast, I explain why authenticity is essential to leadership and how we can build and keep our authenticity.

When asked what is the most important action a person can take to improve as a leader, I always answer with build trust. The best way to build sustainable trust is through authenticity, and the fastest way to destroy trust is to demonstrate a lack of authenticity.

One of the most important ways we can build trust is by living in authentic life. Authenticity is the glue that holds leadership together without it a leader falls apart.

Show me someone who has failed as a leader at an epic level whether on television, in the newspaper, in politics, or anywhere, and I’ll tell you someone who has a problem with authenticity. They simply lived one way but let others believe they were living another. Once people recognize you are not who you say you are, they will no longer allow themselves to be influenced or led by you.  

I’ve written about the six core elements of leadership and authenticity is the sixth. You could be super strong and all the other five but be weak and authenticity and the rest will crumble. 

You need to know your values. You need to proclaim your values. And most importantly you need to live your values. I find so many people who want to be great leaders and yet they do not do any of these three. They don’t truly know what they value. They don’t let people know what they value. And therefore they can’t what they value. They are all over the place.  Living our values is what other people see and that is how we build trust with them.

This episode will help you become a better leader.

Thank you for taking 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 

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The Importance of Celebrating Others

Nobody wants to be around people who just tolerate them.

Everbody loves to be around people who celebrate them.

Leadership is a skill which can be learned and taught, and one of the most important lessons is celebrating the success of others.

It’s a refreshing change in a “Me First” world: First and foremost, celebrating others is not only the right thing to do, it places those who practice this unique and powerful craft at the top 1% of people others want to be around. It’s easy to celebrate others and it doesn’t have to cost anything. In an age where “selfies” are the mainstream of social media, celebrating others is a refreshing change of pace. People are enchanted by those who place others above themselves. The greats practice celebrating others. Oprah, Ellen, Jimmy Fallon are all quick to congratulate and share the success of those they are around. We love it! We love seeing others genuinely happy about the success of others.Click to Read More

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The Thirteen Best Productivity Apps for Your iPhone

Businessman working at his workplaceThe iPhone is an amazing productivity tool or an amazing distraction depending on the apps you use. I have my share of apps for distractions, but I also accomplish a lot of work on my iPhone too.  It surprises me that more people don’t know about how the iPhone can help you accomplish more wherever you are at.  You can waste a lot of time and money trying to find the best productivity apps, so let me save you a little of both.

In this post I will share thirteen of my top productivity apps and annotate them with suggestions on how they can be put to best use.  I will elaborate on some of the apps in separate, individual posts later.

I would love to read what apps you would include on this list and how you use them in the comments below.

 

Icon175x175 Day One: I have kept a daily journal now for over sixteen years. I credit most of my accomplishments to journaling, and up until the last couple of years my journals have always been paper journals, like Moleskine. (I still use Moleskine for projects.)  I made the leap the Day One app, and I have no regrets.  The best journal is the one you have in your pocket. It has a beautiful user interface, looks great, and you can search your journal for the information you are looking for.  The search feature is key! So often I tried to find information in my written journals by flipping pages.  Most of the time I never found what I was looking for, and when I did I lost huge amounts of time. Day One is simple to use, is password protected, and has some great advanced features.  I highly recommend this app for your iPhone.

SCOI0091 summary icon 100x100 Evernote: Evernote is my secure electronic filing cabinet.  While I don’t keep a daily journal in Evernote, all of my notes from meetings, conferences, upcoming events, and projects go here.  Evernote is secure and searchable.  I can find whatever I am looking for.  When I want to remember something I use Evernote. It includes audio, picture, web clippings, and so much more.  I keep finding more and more uses for it. You can start using Evernote for free at this link forever; it only costs money when you out grow the free amount of space. Also, and most importantly, it is safe and secure.
(Please click the ‘continue reading’ below in red on the right to read about eleven more great apps.)

 

ImagesNozbe: I have tried just about every single ‘to-do’ app in the App Store in an attempt to replace my index card for my daily to-do list. I finally found the solution, and it’s Nozbe. It is clean and simple, like my index card, and well, it just simply works. I can access my to-do list and projects via any device easily, and it appears in the notification screen on my iPhone. I’m finally done losing my to-do list. I can’t believe I finally found the replacement to my index card. Nozbe also works off your MacBook too, which is a joy to sync the two. Nozbe is an absolute joy to use and I am really utilizing the Projects functions too, which I can share with others.  Plays well with Evernote too.
Unknown Drafts: Drafts is a nice little writing program that if perfect for taking notes and writing posts for social media that you will repost again and again. It gives you a character count and allows you to publish to any social media account and works with many other apps. A couple of uses I enjoy are keeping of lists that I will send to people when they ask, like what books do you recommend.  I also use Drafts for rough drafts of future tweets and posts.  Yes, I actually do that. For instance I occasionally ask readers to purchase my book or leave a review.  I have this post stored in Drafts. Handy.
Images Coach.me: Coach.me use to be called Lift and it is great for creating daily habits with reminders.  Add habits you wish to create into this app and you can opt to collaborate with others working on the same habit, get props, reminders, and so much more. You check off the habit you complete and the app keeps track of your progress.  I really like this app for keeping track of my writing goals, practicing Spanish on DuoLingo, workouts, and so much more.
Dropbox 2012Dropbox: It’s just a great online storage center to store lots and lots of files. I backup writing projects here, some photos, and projects I am working on. I can create a folder to share with others so they can collaborate on a project of keep it private for myself. You can sign up FREE for Dropbox here.
Screen Shot 2015 01 19 at 10 08 10 PMDictionary.com Dictionary & Thesuarus: I’m surprised how many smartphone users don’t have a dictionary installed. This one is free and works offline too.  I still find myself needing a dictionary regularly on my phone and I wish the iPhone had one built in like Spotlight on the Mac. I don’t always have access to the internet believe it or not and I need a dictionary.
Screeny ios app iconScreeny: This little app does one thing really well.  It finds all the screenshots you’ve taken on your phone and gives you the option to delete all of them or pick the ones you want to keep.  I take a lot of screenshots for reference and it fills up my phone. I like this simple little utility app.
Screen Shot 2015 01 19 at 10 10 38 PM30/30: This is a unique timer that nearly makes ‘getting things done’ into a game. The concept is simple, you set the timer for whatever amount of you want to focus on a task distraction free, then when the timer is up you work on another tasks. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.  That’s what this app does… it takes a big task and breaks it up into bite sized time allotments. You will love the user interface. You can keep things simple or explore its more diverse and enriching features.
Screen Shot 2015 01 19 at 10 22 29 PMSkitch: This is a great app that works with Evernote that allows you to annotate and mark up photos. I use it all the time to explain things visually to others, from problem-solving an issue on their phone or computer to annotating a picture or a piece of writing.  Works great.
Images  Mail+: I am still in shock that even the latest iOS does not allow me to create and name groups of people to email. If I have a group of people that meet regularly like my investment club Mail+ does the trick. I use this on my iPhone and my iPad.
App store 5122x365 Countdown: I like to know how many minutes, hours, and seconds it is to my next 5K, speaking event, or family trip.  This app handles that for me. There are several on the app store.  The one I use is no longer listed but is still on my phone.  I recommend one that you like.
Unknown Scannable: I have downloaded many scanning apps for my iPhone to get documents into Evernote and other utilities. Now, Scannable, by Evernote has conquered them all.  It easily scans and manages at the same time. Great for business cards, kids artwork, to contracts and anything else that needs to be scanned and filed. Great app and free.
I have a lot of other great apps that I use for productivity that I’ll share later, but this is a powerful list to get you more productive right away.  I plan to cover a few of these in greater detail in individual posts.
If you would like to learn more ways to be more productive and build your personal and professional leadership skills I hope you’ll sign up for my monthly newsletter by clicking here, and you’ll also receive a free eBook titled, The Greatest Year of Your Life.
Two other quick productivity tips I recommend include the following. First, have an extra charge for your devices when you are on the go and I recommend Gembonics Portable Charger for your iPhone and iPad for only $22.99 it’s a bargain if you only use it once.  Best yet, it is elegant and powerful. I also recommend the Mophie Heilum case charger.  I am waiting for it to come out for my iPhone 6.Second, if you’re not backing up your Mac with Time Machine, you are way past time to start doing so.  Grab a nice hard drive and start backing up. It is easy and important.  No excuses. My favorite is Lacie’s Rugged 2 TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive for $169, but there are good hard drives available for half the price too.
Productivity is in the palm of your hand. Good luck.
For even more help with personal and professional leadership, please check out Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader.

Kelly Croy is a professional speaker and speed artist. 

He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation

with his art and words.  

 Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

www.KellyCroy.com

1-800-831-4825

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Six Questions to Ask When Setting a Goal

10Questions

What Makes a Good Goal? 

Some people seem to achieve goals regularly and are continually climbing their way toward a better life. Still, others fail repeatedly and seem stuck in a rut.

A good goal is structured and planned in a way to be more likely achieved.

Achieving goals isn’t a matter of chance, there is a methodology anyone can apply to get better results.

Here Are Six Questions to Ask Yourself When Setting Goals:

1. Can I measure it?

Your goals need to be precise and positively worded. You goals need to be set just above your comfort level and just below your frustration level.  Don’t set a goal like, “I want to lose weight.”  Be specific, “I want to lose five pounds by Steve’s wedding.” Your precision has something to measure and a due date. Focus on what you want, and use words to compel you toward the desired result.

It may be obvious, but a good goal is something you cannot currently do. You might dismiss a goal because you think it is too easy, but if you can’t do it, then it is a good goal.

2. Is it the correct size?

You goal needs to be big enough to matter, but small enough to be completed in a reasonable time.  It’s better to set three five pound weight loss goals than to set one goal of fifteen pounds. By losing the first five and meeting your goal you set off emotions and brain chemistry like dominos.  You begin programming your brain for success.  Think bite-sized goals and bust them out. Big goals are resolutions; they’re the meals. Goals are the individual bites of that big meal.

You cannot measure your goal against someone else’s goal.  If you want to run a 5K in under 30 minutes and your friend is training for a marathon, you still need to be proud of your goal.

3. When will I finish?

You need to set a deadline for your goal.  I use a countdown time app on my iPhone or type it into my calendar.  I can see how many days, hours, and minutes until my next 5K or word count on my book.  Goals need deadlines.  Without them, they will remain dreams.  Set a target completion date.

4. How will I keep myself accountable?

Goals need to be written.  I would start by keeping a journal and check back often. You need to lineup what resources you have at your disposal and that includes people that can keep you accountable.  Some people I know have found success ‘checking in’ on social media sites like twitter and Facebook.  Posting pictures and short entires of their progress.  Find creative ways to keep yourself accountable.

5. Does it interest me?

You aren’t going to finish anything unless you feel strongly about it.  Create some leverage and ask yourself what would happen if you don’t complete it, and what would happen if you did.  Inspire yourself. Remind yourself why you want this. Get into it.

6. What will it cost?

A good goal is one that will improve your life and those around you.

When setting a goal you must look ahead and see how it will impact those around you. All goals cost something whether it be time or money.

Will this goal help your family? Will it negatively impact your finances? Will it improve or hinder your relationship with your family?

This is, after all, your goal. You cannot rely on the actions of others to achieve your goal. You cannot rely on your finances. (I know some who allow themselves to buy things and call it a goal.  That’s not a goal, that’s a want.)  Be prepared to invest time in achieving your goal, but know what the costs are and use good judgement.

What questions do you believe are important to ask when setting goals? Leave a comment.

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Escaping the Gravitational Pull of Stress

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Escape velocity is described as the speed an object needs to be traveling in order break free of a planet’s gravitational force. On Earth, escape velocity is seven miles a second, or 25,000 miles an hour.  That’s fast. The good news is, that once an object reaches escape velocity it no longer requires further propulsion. If the object fails to reach this speed, consequently, it is pulled back.

For a long time the science community believed escape velocity was unobtainable. That nothing would ever leave Earth’s atmosphere. Now, you and I benefit from the thousands of man-made satellites orbiting our earth. They allow us to communicate, prepare for weather, direct our course and more.  Escape velocity achieved. Benefits obtained.

Right now you are sitting with a cold-blooded killer with a similar hold on you. Stress.

It’s real. It’s dangerous. It’s been identified as the number one killer of all Americans. At times, stress has a gravitational pull on our lives that is seemingly unescapable. Flares of panic. Pangs of anxiety. Stress drives some to madness, addiction, and others, sadly, even worse.

If you are having difficulty escaping your stress you are damaging both mind and body, your relationship, and your employment, but fortunately there is much we can do to obtain the ever-so-needed escape velocity over our stress and move forward with our lives.

The key to our overcoming the consequences of stress, however, is the identical solution of a rocket seeking to escape the planet’s strong gravitational pull.  Both require an incredible amount of explosive commitment to achieving the result. We are talking sheer brute force and power.  We can’t try; we must commit. We can dabble at it. We must go all in. Buckle-up buttercup, it’s time for liftoff.

Here are 12 stress-busting tips to help you achieve escape velocity:

1) Know in your heart and mind that “this too shall pass.” Faith and affirmation are your bodyguards.

2) Commit to some intense aerobic physical activity. Workout kids! Get the body moving.

3) Confide in a close friend or journal. Get it out of your system. Don’t bottle it up.

4) Prayer. Best anti-anxiety drug ever made. Find a private place to quiet yourself. Tell the Big Guy what’s on your mind. Then listen.

5) Laugh. It’s time for some ‘Three Stooges’ or some great comedy. Laughter is awesome medicine.

6) Face your fear. Go ahead and describe the worse-case scenario. Look your enemy in the eye. It will instantly shrink before your eyes.

7) To the War Room! Start developing a plan of attack if your worse fears were to come true. You will find comfort.  You’ll also find that there is always a solution. When one door closes, another opens.

8) Fellowship. Surround yourself with family, activities, and others. You need your tribe. Your tribe needs you.

9) Get away! Ever notice your problems shrink as you drive out of town? Put some miles between you and the location of your worry. (You will have to come back. Hawaii is not an option.)

10) Music. I have my stress-busting playlist ready.  How about you?

11) Comparison. You have stress. So does everyone.  Pick up a newspaper or go to CNN. Seeing the problems of the world tends to shrink our own. Can’t find anyone with a bigger problem? Turn to the obituaries. Oh, and count your blessings.

12) The Size of the Hero Depends on The Size of the Problem. Wanna be a hero? Conquer BIG problems. No one ever got a medal for tying their shoe.

In order to reach escape velocity you’ll need to apply all of these with passion and intensity. Doing one of them won’t work.

Hoping to see you in a stress free orbit soon.

Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and keynote speaker.

He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation

including corporations, schools, churches, conferences,

and anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired.

Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

www.kellycroy.com

1-800-831-4825

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You’re Blowing It!

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You’re Blowing it!

It’s not procrastination. That sounds too sophisticated.

You’re not stalling. That’s just too nice.

You’re blowing it! You are about to miss a once in a lifetime opportunity because you are more interested in reading your Twitter Feed or updating your current Facebook status.

Life is short and we all have goals and dreams. We work toward them or we don’t. When we don’t achieve our dreams we make excuses and cover up our inaction with niceties. We act like we will eventually get there and that everything is going to be fine.

Well, what if you’re wrong? Live your life without regrets and get your dreams on the production line.

You need help? Great. We can do that. We can find you the resources you need. (And you won’t.) We’ll locate any needed backers. (You don’t really need that either.) And we will guide you around every other excuse you are prepared to make. (And you will.) But, we cannot tell you what your dream is, and ask you to get started.  That little bit of magic is the fuel for the entire dream.

Throw perfection out the window and aim for progress. Dream big but when creating settle for completion. You can always work on a part two later. ‘Finished’ is a beautiful word.

Look in the mirror. Are you blowing it or are you getting started?

Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and keynote speaker.

He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation

including corporations, schools, churches, conferences,

and anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired.

Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

www.kellycroy.com

1-800-831-4825

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Christmas Greetings

christmaswindow1Too often people greet one another with a hearty, “How are you?” without any genuine concern, and when the recipient begins to inform them of exactly how they are doing, the greeter tunes them out. We have a sort of linguistic apathy or sterilization that takes place in our society. Our language undervalues the meaning of certain words and phrases over time.

One such phrase that we cannot allow to be devalued is Merry Christmas. In truth, the phrase is most sacred in meaning and expression. When offering someone a “Merry Christmas” we should be fully attentive to its precise meaning and present it with a genuine smile. I cannot imagine a better greeting or farewell than a sincere Merry Christmas.
There has been much attention in recent years to the use of Merry Christmas in stores, cards, and promotions, or more accurately its lack of use in our society. I personally disapprove of the use of “X-mas” and I do indeed feel it leaves Christ out, but I mostly keep those thoughts to myself. I have never really felt that people use it to be purposefully disrespectful, and I have even heard arguments that it is Christian in origin, as ‘X’ was the Greek symbol for Christos, or Christ.  Still, it is not for me.  As for the use of “Happy Holidays” I am not so bothered, but I still prefer Merry Christmas.  The word “Holiday” is a compound word formed originally from “Holy” and “Day” which is exactly what Christmas is, the holy day.
For me, the concern is more about the tone and expression of the greeting.  Regardless of whether we share a “Merry Christmas” or a “Happy Holidays”— is our heart and soul into it? Or are we just going through the motions? Christmas is our most sacred holiday. The music, food, decorations, singing, lights, and all the merriment is meant to celebrate the birth of Our Savior. Our attitudes should also reflect this great joy.
Charles Dickens’ creation of Ebenezer Scrooge is a holiday classic. His Christmas Carol succeeds because all of us can identify a “Scrooge” in our lives, and to be honest, within ourselves from time to time. The holidays can create stress, anger, and even depression, but only because our focus is tuned to the distractions and not God.  Let Christ truly be our focus this holiday season in both our greeting and in our hearts.
It is so easy to get caught up in what Christmas isn’t really about. Let’s set aside our worries and pains this Christmas season, and celebrate, with great merriment and joy, the birth of Christ.
I wish you a very Merry Christmas. May your homes be filled with much laughter and happiness.
~ Kelly
Kelly is an inspirational speaker, author, and artist.
Please visit our website to book Kelly for your next event.  
www.kellycroy.com  info@kellycroy.com 1-800-831-4825