Tag Archives: exciting

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The Secret to Accomplishing BIG Goals and Dreams!

Toe in water thumb 10

Each and every day I take out a small index card and make my to-do list. The result is simple; I get things done.

Each year I set goals for myself and monitor them regularly in my journal. The result is always positive; I accomplish some great goals each year.

Still, there are some tasks that either evade me, or I am avoiding, and some BIG life goals that I cannot even seem to get started. With them, I seem to be in a rut. I continually write them down as ‘to-do’ but barely make any progress. The worst of it is in the the reality that these are the goals and accomplishments that would mean the most to me if completed. They would make the biggest impact in my life.

I have always read and heard that you need to write goals down and that they need to be specific. Most of the time that works well for me, but recently I have uncovered a secret that has allowed me to make progress in those really tough areas that I have been stagnant for so long.

The solution is: The Secret of ‘Some‘.

A novel can be 50,000 words. You can’t write one of those in a day.

Ten pounds is 35,000 calories. You won’t be losing that in a day.

Too often the knowledge of ‘the amount’ it takes to finish prevents us from starting or staying on track.

We surrender out of fear of failure and convince ourselves with the improbability of success or imagine the exhaustive state we will be at, even with a fraction of the progress.

That is why most people don’t write novels or ever lose that ten pounds.

I recently discovered this amazing adjective called some. It’s not scary nor even measurable, yet with it you can get anywhere and accomplish anything.

Can’t run a marathon? Great, run some.

Can’t reduce your diet down to 1800 calories a day? Super! Just reduce it by some.

Some allows us to reach our goals. Some allows to make progress.

The only thing that must accompany some to make it happen is the noun consistency.

Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and professional 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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September 11th: A Celebration on a Solemn Day

9 11 Tribute Final

Today is September 11th and our home reflects a dichotomy of emotions.

A woman on the television solemnly reads the names of those who lost their lives ten years ago at the World Trade Center.

…our house is decorated with balloons and streamers.

Airports are on heightened security due to unconfirmed reports of terrorist movement.

…we will eat cake and sing.

Our leaders hold their breath.

…we celebrate my daughter’s birthday.

Today is September 11th.

It’s not easy celebrating anything on such a solemn day, but I cannot allow my daughter to be robbed the joy of celebrating her life. Still, my mind drifts elsewhere. I think about the lives lost, and I briefly question the wisdom of going to a cinema or a shopping mall in fear of some act of revenge on the anniversary of perhaps the darkest day in our history. We proceed. Perhaps our decisions are weighed a little move heavily. Perhaps I am a bit more conscious. I privately and publicly mourn those who died, honor the heroes, and carry on being a father.

That’s what Americans do best; we carry on. March forward. Advance.

We do not forget.

My daughter gets it; the day is no longer hers. An unfortunate lesson. A sad coincidence. A lesson in service, honor,  perspective and gratitude. Families were robbed of loved ones, our country defiled of its innocence and safety, and her day is overshadowed by the remembrance of a tragedy.  In truth, she would have it no other way.  I believe she feels honored to celebrate her life today as a tribute to so many who gave up theirs. At times it seems odd, and at times, perfect.

Yes, today is September 11th. It’s okay to celebrate birthdays, cheer for your football teams, drive your child to soccer, and laugh at a movie. If we didn’t, the act of terror would have succeeded and continued, and the so many who gave their lives so willingly, truly would have died in vain. We must carry on, march forward, advance, yet never forget.

At church this morning we were reminded to forgive, and I know that cannot be easy. I celebrate my daughter’s life while another father marks the anniversary of his daughter’s death, and yet, I know forgiveness indeed takes place. How do you do that? I am amazed. I have much to learn.

September 11, 2001 was an incredibly humbling day for me. It was as if Death itself had given me a glimpse of my own mortality, a reminder of life’s frailty, and an understanding of the horrors man can conceive and act out.  Yet within that shadowy bush of thorns, a blossom of hope and courage emerged like a single red rose, as I was also given a glimpse of the courageousness of mankind, witnessing selfless acts of every day people, stepping forward like the heroes in the comic books I read as a child. I saw giving, sacrifice, compassion, and the complete erasure of nearly every dividing characteristic. On that dark hour we were not aligned to political parties, economic classes, or members of a race. We stood together.

From the ashes of destruction fueled by misguided hate rose a nation united, determined, to advance against a common cause, to make an impact.

On our country’s darkest hour, I was reminded what it means for me to be an American, a Christian, a father, and a neighbor.

Today is September 11th and our home reflects a dichotomy of emotions.

Carry on. March forward. Advance. Never forget.

Happy Birthday Allyson.

Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and professional 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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Reward Commitment: Invent a buy-back program

I picked up my daughter’s basketball sitting

Deflated basketball

where she practices at home.  It was as smooth as an apple.  Useless.  All the bounce was gone, and it was becoming threadbare in some areas. I was about to toss it in the trashcan and get her a new one when my daughter stopped me.  She told me she was taking it to practice with her that day and that her coach would give her a new basketball. In fact, she elaborated, her coach would give her a new basketball for every one she wore out.  Wow! What a fabulous idea!

My daughter’s coach did in fact give her a basketball for every one she wore out, but more amazing than that is that her coach instilled in her a desire to practice, gave her a visual goal, and reinforced the successful habits of a committed athlete. Well done.

I incorporated that idea into my own life. I have been wanting a new laptop for some time. Not just any laptop, but the new MacBook Air from Apple. I have saved my money and all I need to do is place the order, but I made a commitment to myself to wait until I have finished the book I have been working on for the past two years. My current laptop used for writing will be replaced with the new one when the book is finished and query letters mailed.

It’s easy to become distracted, but there are techniques we can employ to counter them and become more productive, and I believe creating your own buy-back program is an excellent idea to meet your goals.

Discipline, focus, commitment, and training are the keys to success in any area in life, whether it be writing, sports, art, or anything else. The distractions become less influential when we have a clear measurable goal in front of us.

I hope you can find an area in your life that you can set-up a similar buy-back reward program. Perhaps you can use it with a friend or family member, or perhaps even with yourself.

Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and professional 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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Six Things I Believe Children Need to Hear More Often

Children hear a lot of things during the course of a day. Each and every word makes a lasting impact. Parents, teachers, coaches, advisors, and mentors must choose their words carefully. We aren’t always going to have the right words at the right time, but we always need to try. Here are six things I think children need to hear more often:

1) Yes! We want to keep children safe and prevent them from becoming unruly and spoiled. The word “No” is often set as default. I think children need to hear ‘Yes’ more often. You don’t have to give in to every request, just quantify when they can do something. “Dad, can I go to a friend’s house?” Try, “Yes, but not today. When your room is clean ask me again for another day.”

2) I Make Mistakes Too! Children need to know that everyone makes mistakes, and that failing is the pathway to success. We want students to accept and demonstrate responsibility, show leadership, and try new things. When we as adults use the wrong words we need to let children know we made a mistake for that too.

3) You Can Accomplish Anything! I use to think everyone heard this from their parents. By the end of my first year of teaching, now twenty, I knew this isn’t true. This really was a great gift my parents gave me. I placed no limitations on my future. I dreamt big, and went after and achieved goals that really should have been unobtainable. Remind children every day that they too are limitless despite any odds or environment. Remind them they can accomplish anything.

4) How Can I Help You? Children need to understand that they can always ask for help, but also need to know that we aren’t going to give them the answer or do the work for them. In the age of Google, Click to Read More

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Five Ways to Improve Your Customer Service

UnknownI just went through an uncomfortable customer service experience with The Ford Motor Company and the handling of their recall of my vehicle. While I understand recalls happen and improve safety, I believe corporations should recognize some very basic principles in the handling of their customer service. Customer Service is paramount.

Here is my advice about how you can improve your customer service:

1) Care. Customer service is truly that simple. Show the customer that you genuinely care about them, and that you’re not just trying to cover your butt. Recognize the importance of the customer’s time, and acknowledge its value. Show the customer you care about them, not the problem, not the product, not who’s right, but the individual customer. Care.

2) Answer the Customer’s Question. Don’t answer questions so guardedly and evasively that the consumer is confused. Don’t make the customer go through a series of handlers before getting someone that can actually answer the question. Respond to the customer’s questions timely. Unanswered questions makes the customer feel unimportant. Ultimately the customer just wants to know if someone is doing something.

3) Ask The Customer The Magic Question: What can I do to make this better? You don’t necessarily have to give what they ask, but if it is the right thing to do, I hope you consider it. The customer will at least feel as if they were heard. Perhaps the customer doesn’t even know what they want, and this line of questioning will lead to a solution. Listen to the customer. Keeping records does not make good customer service. Just because you took notes about our conversation does not prove to me anything is being done, nor that you even listened.

4) Offer Something The Customer Cannot Obtain or Achieve on Her Own Personalize the experience. Offer to do something the customer cannot do on their own. Ford offered to call the local dealer for me and the car rental place and make an inquiry. I had already done that. Living in a small town I asked them not to bother the dealer because the recall wasn’t his fault. I even asked them to document that request. It was overlooked and made me uncomfortable in my community. Again, listen to the customer. Don’t offer to do something I can do on my own, provide me with something beyond my ability.

5) If your Company has a slogan or motto, Live up to it! On Ford’s website it says: Ford: Drive one. Yet during the three months I was without my vehicle I was never offered one, even after I requested one. Ford hired Enterprise to provide me with a rental vehicle. Their slogan is “Enterprise: We’ll Pick You Up.” Yet, when I called them to schedule to pick up, they told me I was out of their delivery range. What!? If you have a slogan, live up to it.

I wish Ford well, in fact I own stock in the company, and I applaud the workers that build their amazing vehicles. However, Ford’s future success, and that of any company is not solely in their product, but their customer service. Sadly, my next vehicle will not be a Ford simply because they had me test drive a competitor’s vehicle for the three months of recall repair. (I share this post in hopes it helps Ford improve. I reached out to Ford through their toll free number, Facebook, and Twitter during my unpleasant Ford experience.) Recalls and repairs happen, but take care of the customer. For better or for worse, the experience will be memorable.

My local Ford Dealer was awesome! Each and every member understood and delivered excellent customer service. They followed each of the five suggestions for Great Customer Service above. The Ford Corporation however, didn’t deliver a good customer service experience at all.

A couple of my followers on Twitter shared these customer service suggestions:

@jcorppio on Twitter says : @kellycroy Best cust service concept: “I will handle that” and then doing it on time, with no negative nonverbal cues, even if you hate it

@grocer0123 on Twitter says: @kellycroy Well, don’t tell me I’ll get it tomorrow and it still not be here the day after tomorrow.


www.kellycroy.com

Click to email Kelly questions about presenting at your event!

1-800-831-4825

Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and professional 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

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Vision: Leadership Series Part Five of Seven

Part Five of Seven on Leadership: The Seven Commitments to Answering the Call to Lead

Vision is the GPS navigation system for leaders.

Vision is the entire purpose of Leadership. It’s the dog in a corn dog, the noodles in spaghetti, and the music at a dance. Without vision, a leader is nothing more than someone moving around making noise. The vision is the purpose of an organization. It’s the mission, or the direction in which the organization wants to move toward. Know this, an organization’s vision must be clear to everyone involved, and that is the job of a leader. A leader has this incredible ability to get everyone to enthusiastically work toward this common vision. In times of setback, defeat, and even failure, a true leader rallies everyone toward the vision once again.

The Statue of Liberty holds a special place in my heart as I am sure it does for many Americans. My grandmother and grandfather immigrated here from Ireland.  I grew up listening to my grandmother share stories about being aboard ship and seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time. My grandmother immigrated here because of the American Dream. Being the youngest of a potato farming family during times of great hardship, she was in some way a part of that “wretched refuse” and the journey here definitely made her tempest-tossed.  She was by all means looking for opportunities.

These wise words penned by Emma Lazarus are indeed inscribed on the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal. While we all know that Lady Liberty was a gift from France, many do not know how the large pedestal on which the Statue rests was constructed.

Residents of Manhattan were asked to donate ten cents to help fund the construction of the pedestal. The pedestal would provide a base for the statue to rest and elevate it so it could be seen from great distances. The work would take months to complete and was very expensive.  Nearly all residents were eager to donate to this worthwhile cause, but there were of course a few who saw this endeavor as a waste of time and money.

One such man, complained about the fundraising for the pedestal.  Like an Ebenezer Scrooge, he refused to donate and found fault with everyone who gave money to the project or helped to organize fundraisers.

It is important to note that no one had seen the Statue of Liberty yet.  It was in a warehouse in pieces stored in crates. They had read about it and seen pictures, but it had not yet been assembled in the United States. Everyone was anxious to donate and see this amazing work of art, and beacon of freedom, assembled.  It was quite difficult, however, for this stingy character to visualize the majesty of this ten story statue, and so he never donated to the fund for the pedestal, not one dime.

Some time after the construction of the pedestal and the assembling of the statue, the man’s grandson begged him to go and see the statue.  He tried to refuse, but couldn’t. Upon arriving at Ellis Island, the man was in complete awe of Lady Liberty.  He was literally speechless. The statue’s size and grandeur, as well as the sense of freedom it conveyed overwhelmed him. Eventually the man and his grandson ascended to the top of the observatory inside Lady Liberty’s crown.  With a tear of shame running down his cheek, the man took a silver dollar from his pocket and jammed it into a small opening  he discovered.  He could not stand knowing that he was not part of something so wonderful.  He was unable to visualize what could have been.

Do not be like this man in Arthur Miller’s wonderful story, Grandpa and the Statue.  Answer the call to lead and make a difference in the lives of others. See the potential of yourself as a leader.  Our life is brief, but the contributions we make and the roles of leadership we choose are timeless.

If you do not have a vision yet, adopt one you admire until you can construct your own. Sometimes we use the vision of others as leaders, especially in sports teams.

The vision must:

1) Be incredibly short! In one sentence be able to state the vision.

2) Bring everyone together to achieve it, not separate individuals.

3) Challenge people to do their best work and become their best!

4) Be shared regularly.

5) Inspire enthusiasm and excitement. You are part of something bigger.

6) Encourage participation beyond normal expectations.

7) Everyone must understand how they can contribute to the vision.  If they don’t know, that’s your fault as a leader.

Kelly is an inspirational speaker, author, and artist.

www.kellycroy.com

Click to email Kelly questions about presenting at your event!

1-800-831-4825

Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and professional 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.

 

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Why ‘On My Honor…’ Still Matters: The Importance of Keeping High Standards


This week’s news of Brigham Young University’s suspension of basketball phenom, Brandon Davies has surprised and shocked the nation. Many were upset by the decision to suspend the leader of the nation’s number 3 basketball team just days before March Madness begins, but not me. I am proud of BYU’s enforcement of such high standards. I applaud their action.  It is an example that will serve us all well.

Bad behavior among athletes at both collegiate and professional levels has become accepted.  Hollywood bad boys and girls like Charlie Sheen and Lindsey Lohan dominate television, press, and the internet.  No one wants to be anyone’s role model any more. People don’t want consequences, they just want left alone. It’s a private matter. I’m not hurting anyone but myself. I’m special. I’m the exception to the rule. Move along.

I beg to differ. We have an obligation to our families, friends, colleagues, and communities to maintain high standards. We owe it to those who came before us, and to those who will follow after us. We should always give our best, live by a creed, and draw lines in the sand that we will not cross. Ever. But if we do, we need to accept the consequences and atone. It’s not easy when mainstream television reality shows sell the concept to win at any cost.

We begin with high standards but allow them to dissipate over time. With each success and failure we lose sight of the standards we hold ourselves and others to. In Scouting we recited our Oath and Motto aloud.  It was a commitment we made in front of each other verbally each week. It was stitched into our uniforms, embossed on the covers of our books, and displayed in posters on the walls of our meeting rooms. It was a regular part of our routine and life. I can still recite the Oath, Points, and Motto. More importantly, I still follow them.  I know they make a difference.

Davies’s actions, however, were not criminal and would not be seen by the majority of the country even as wrong. (He had premarital sex with his girlfriend.) Brigham Young enforced its honor code this week that forbids it. They chose not to turn a blind eye to a breach in their policy, which in this case may very well cost them placement in the NCAA Tournament.   I cannot even think of another college that would enforce this rule.  Still, it is their rule. Their incredibly high standard.

What happens when you set and keep incredibly high standards? You achieve incredible accomplishments.

Do you have an honor code? Does your family have standards? Do you know your company’s policies on misconduct? What rules have slipped into that gray area of indifference?

Renew, refresh, restore, and reinitiate your personal high standards. Surround yourself with people who hold you to a higher standard. The Marines and others known for their incredibly high standards incorporate them into their emblems and logos. They follow them, enforce them, and reward them. Do you?

I hope BYU and the hard working athletes on the team that kept to the rules do well. I hope Davies returns and becomes one of the great, memorable players of the game. I hope BYU’s high standards become the example of class for universities across the nation to follow. And I hope everyone looks at this news story as a personal opportunity to set or renew high standards for themselves.

We need to become better men and women, not lower our standards. Applaud and recognize those who maintain high standards. Call out those who do not, and ask them to renew their commitment or exit.

What an amazing example of leadership!

Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and professional speaker. His presentations have entertained and amazed audiences across the nation including corporations, schools, churches, conferences, and wherever people come together to be entertained and improve their lives. Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

Please visit Kelly’s website to book him  for your next event.

www.kellycroy.com

info@kellycroy.com

1-800-831-4825

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It’s Not Time for That… Yet.

A good friend of mine is a successful writer and speaker. His books quite simply change lives. An aspiration for any writer. An aspiration for any speaker. An aspiration for any person.

Every now and then I contact my friend with an idea that I truly believe he must act on immediately. He casually responds nearly every time with, “Great idea, but it’s not time for that yet.”

Brilliance.

I’m blessed with Attention Deficit Disorder, better known to all as ADD. Blessed? Yes, because it is one of the muses that feeds me such creative, out-of-this-world ideas. I love it. One of the drawbacks, however, is of course the fact that I get so many ideas that I want to jump from project to project and then I don’t finish things. I never, ever, refer to my ADD as anything but a blessing.  I mean that. It’s as much a part of me as my blue eyes. In fact, I try not to refer to my ADD at all. (I love it so much I feel it’s like bragging about how much you can bench press. After all, I consider ADD one of my super powers.)

When all of these creative ideas start flooding my brain and pushing out the project that I really need to buckle-down on and finish, I just need to remind myself that it’s not time for that, yet. And I do. My brain starts  screaming, “Let’s do this!” I just say to myself, “It’s not time for that brain.” I take out my journal and I write down the amazing idea that just popped in there. I date it. Sometimes I even do a very quick sketch or two of what it’s suppose to look like or do. I give the idea a bold heading  so when I flip through my journal I see it.  Then I skip a line or two and write why I need to return to the project I interrupted and what it will mean to me and my family when I am finished.

It’s very important that you complete that last step. Once that new idea pops into your brain it steals some of the excitement and energy from the project you are working on. You have to invigorate that passion and energy into your project again. You will need to recapture that purpose and energy. Then immediately jump back into that project and make some real progress. Remind yourself of why you want to finish, what it will mean, and the date you want it completed. Being successful is not just knowing what to do, but knowing when to do it.

Here are the steps to take when your project gets interrupted by a new, wonderful idea:

  1. Remind yourself, “It’s not time for that, yet.”
  2. Take out your journal and write down your new idea quickly with a big, bold heading, and a quick sketch if needed.
  3. Reinvigorate your current project with a brief journal entry highlighting your passion, interest, and what it means to complete.
  4. Dive right back into the project you were working knowing the epiphany you just had is safely locked away and won’t be lost.
  5. Use visualization and self talk to restart the project and regain your energy and commitment.

Finish that project. Everyone loves and respects those who do what they say, and follow-through on their dreams and ideas.

Dream big, but finish!

Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and professional speaker. His presentations have entertained and amazed audiences across the nation including corporations, schools, churches, conferences, and wherever people come together to be entertained and improve their lives. Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

Please visit Kelly’s website to book him  for your next event.

www.kellycroy.com

info@kellycroy.com

1-800-831-4825