Tag Archives: planner

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What’s Next?

Question mark“What’s Next?”

Is there a marathon in your future? Certification? A trip? A new house? A book?

Asking, “What’s next?” can be incredibly powerful, perhaps even a life-changing question. A question that can change the quality of your life. A question that can change your purpose, perhaps even create your legacy. Too often the question is either avoided completely or embraced too quickly.

Some people ask, “What’s next?” with excitement and anticipation. Others avoid it outright.

Avoidance: Why are some people afraid to ask, “What’s Next?” Perhaps they are comfortable and complacent where they are at and they don’t want to disrupt that false sense of security. They live in their past accomplishment, and talk about what they have accomplished. Everyone should celebrate their victories in life, but everyone needs to move on to a new challenge sooner than later. Asking, “What’s Next?” creates progress and forward movement, and it’s fun. Sitting down and planning your next big move, goal, event, project, race, or plan is excitement building time. I love these creative periods of brainstorming and envisioning.

But I’m Content: A friend of mine tells me he is content. He believes what’s next will find him when the time is right. In the meantime he relishes in his stories of past accomplishments. I understand that, because he really has accomplished much, but for me I must ask what’s next and seek it out. Life is short and I want to make the most of it. When opportunity presents itself, I will pounce on it. In the meantime, I will be attempting to make my own luck in this world. I will show gratitude, I will be thankful, but I will not be content. There is too much in this world to do. I am thankful for the innovators before me where not content. Mother Theresa could have stopped her life of service in her sixties.

Are your greatest days in front of you or behind you? It doesn’t matter what your age is or your physical status. You can accomplish great things and you should be asking what’s next.

Premature: Some people ask “What’s next?” prematurely. I suffer from this. I am always anxious to move on to the next BIG thing, sometimes my energy shifts before I have completed an important project. What’s next is powerful and important, but it has it’s place and time. Make sure you finish up your project or dream before moving on too quickly. If this happens to you, I encourage you to read my post, “It’s Not Time for That Yet!” and learn how you can maintain those great ideas, finish what you’ve already started, and prepare to ask yourself, “What’s next?”

Magic Hour: The best time to begin envisioning what you will do next is not after you accomplish your current goal or project, but as you enter the final finishing stages. Hemingway always abandoned his writing for the day mid-sentence to keep himself fresh and eager to dive back in to writing. I know I must sign up for another athletic event before I finish competition on my current race or I will get a touch of the blues and fall out of training. I know my wife always enjoys looking forward to a trip. Apple computers has a pipeline of “what’s next” products they are preparing. You should have a list ready in your journal and actually begin working on it as you finish your latest and greatest life victory.

I hope you decide to connect with me on Facebook or Twitter and let me know what’s next for you.

www.kellycroy.com

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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The Lost Art of Letter Writing: Part Four of How Leaders Respond Timely

Mailbox iStock 000001202894XSmall5 I have embraced the power of technology and social networking but I have not been so foolish as to have abandoned the single most influential and personal form of communication available — letter writing. It still amazes me that I can send my words to someone thousands of miles across the country in such a short amount of time, and make an impact in their life, and perhaps even mine. Letter writing is indeed a lost art, and one leaders need to embrace and master.

Can’t afford to give your hard working employee a raise?Reward them with hand-written praise. Even a post-it note with a couple of well chosen words hand-written will go farther than your most skillfully worded email or text, because you’ve made it personal. You took time out of your day for them. You created something tactile. It’s art.

Letter writing isn’t just a skill, when it’s done correctly it elevates itself to an art form. Its power is only increased by the fact that so few others participate in its creation. Think about it. Nothing is more cherished in the mail than a hand-written card or a well worded letter. People receive hundreds of impersonal emails a week but perhaps only one personalized letter. (If even that.)

If you want to stand out and make an impact: practice, master and utilize the lost art of letter writing. People remember those who remember them.

Write letters. Write thank-you cards. Send a note of congratulations. Leave someone a personalized message of appreciation.

There are few things as exciting as seeing a personalized letter in your mail. Not a form letter or junk mail, but a real letter written by someone, just to you. You know someone took the time to pen this note. You stare at the envelope and wonder what is inside.

It’s Unique. No one else is doing it. Letters stand out. Wow! You took the time to do this for me!?!

Compliment: Corporations and organizations receive a lot of negative feedback. It is rare indeed when someone writes a letter to offer thanks or recognition. Sometimes they like to reward that. I actually received a phone call from the CEO of OGIO bags once because I wrote a letter telling them how awesome I thought their bags were. They loved it. I was invited to assist with a creation a triathlon sports bag. The product never got off the ground, but it all started with a letter.

To Thank & Congratulate: I am always mentioning my Moleskin journal in my posts because I know of its incredible value in my life. I always keep a couple of thank-you cards in the built-in folder in the back. I like being first to thank someone for their help or congratulate them on a success. I strive to be first and I strive to be memorable. Always write thank-you notes and send congratulation cards. It’s never too late. There is never a bad time to send a get well or sympathy card. Be on top of this!

Postcards: The power of a written letter is that it is personal. When you remove that personal touch and create a form letter that you mail to a hundred or more people, it is now reduced to junk mail. People just don’t have time for these. (Yes, I know there are exceptions.) My postcards are a little different because on the reverse side I have my art and that, at least for some, makes it a keeper and more importantly a reader. It is also very easy to personalize a postcard with one sentence and your signature. “I am looking forward to meeting you at this conference! ~ Kelly” A powerful one liner. Keep it short.

I recommend writing a letter a week to those you admire. Ask nothing in return. Just let them know you exist and you appreciate what they do. Practice your craft well. One day a door will open, and you will be remembered.

Be sincere. Be authentic. Don’t say what you don’t really mean. Keep your word.

You need to read well written letters. Study them. Practice. Enjoy the process. Find ways to make personal letter writing a part of your leadership practice.

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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Communication: Leadership Series Part Two of Seven

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

You are always communicating. Always!

Leadership is most often described as having the ability to influence others. It’s no surprise that most of our influence stems from how we communicate. Most problems come from poor communication, and most success from great communication.  Seize the power of praise and encouragement. Learn to say, “No.” Master how you communicate with yourself and others.

A leader is someone who says, “Follow me,” not just with their words, but with every action they take and every decision they make. Leaders are constantly communicating.

How do leaders communicate? With every step and word. They communicate with their body language, what they wear, and the activities they involve themselves with and what time they show up at the job.  Leaders communicate from the first handshake to the last pat on the back, and every email, thank-you card, and phone call in between.  Leaders are constantly communicating, even when they think they aren’t.

Fair or not, we make opinions about people the moment we see them, and the same is true of leaders.  A leader must be authentic and true to himself, but simultaneously cautious of the messages he is sending, both literally in a world of constant contact and communications, and symbolically through appearances. Communication is important.

How important is communication? Consider this, when something goes wrong and a complaint is filed within an organization or team, nine times out of ten the problem is one of communication. Furthermore, when a company or organization receives praise, the praise is better than 50% based on how well someone with that group communicated with someone outside.

Master communication and you will become a great leader.

Unfortunately, the majority of communication in our lives is complaints. A leader cannot be part of that.  I have always lived by the saying, “those who gossip with you, gossip about you.”  I make no room in my life for gossip. It’s not a part of me or my plan. Gossip is too small for me and so is complaining.  I leapfrog it and go directly to work on repairing the problem. Instead of saying, “You know what’s wrong…” work on “you know what would make it even better? Let me share my idea.”

Communication is either 95% of your problem or 95% of your success.

The one thing you must know about communication as a leader!

Many people falsely believe they can avoid a problem by not talking about it. Know this, leaders that do not communicate, create more problems than leaders that communicate poorly. You want to communicate even if the message isn’t popular, even if you know the message will not be well received.  It is your duty to communicate that message to your team and it will create more forward moving momentum than no message at all.  Why is this so? In the absence of communication, people will create their own story of why things are happening.  If your lack of communication is creating gaps, please know that people are going to fill those gaps in with whatever information they choose, and quite often it is inaccurate gossip that will be more damaging to morale and the overall vision of the team. In short, absence of communication is still communication, and it is the worst type of communication a leader can issue.

Remember, you are always communicating.

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Create a Monthly Billing Statement for Your Goals!

My recent natural gas bill arrived. While bills are my least favorite piece of correspondence each month, I have to admit the helpfulness of the statement. It included a nice graph of my usage over the last year.  It let me know how much I have paid and what I owe. Interestingly enough, it even predicted my usage for the following month. Each statement serves as a reminder and holds us to a certain level of accountability of what we owe. It lets us know where we are.

Wouldn’t it be great if we received a similar billing statement each month for our goals?

Seriously! Most people never know where they are with the goals they wish to accomplish. It would be awesome to receive a statement each month telling us how much time we’ve put into our dream, what we owe, where we are at, and what we need to finally finish it.

Well, we can. My billing statement each month is in my journal. I choose the 28th of each month as the due date for my dream statements because I was born on the 28th of July and that’s easiest day for me to remember.  It’s like a private monthly celebration of my life and what I plan to do with it.

You can do the same.

You see, if we don’t review our life goals regularly we get behind, just like we would with a real bill. Unlike the natural gas company, we won’t receive any late notices, but what we owe starts piling up. (Most of the time to a level that makes it appear impossible to accomplish. That’s why people quit.)  Can you imagine how hard it would be if you tried to pay two months at a time, or your entire bill all at once? Ouch! The same is true of our goals and dreams.

Just like our billing statements from our utilities we need to make monthly contributions and track our progress.

So, bust out that journal daily or weekly if you can, but especially on the date of your birth each month. Create a reminder or alert on your phone or calendar if needed.

Write down the big three questions that will drive you toward success:

  1. What do I need to continue doing?
  2. What do I need to start doing?
  3. What do I need to stop doing?

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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First to Fix or Find Fault?

When something goes wrong how do you react?

Are you first to identify it? That’s good. We need people that can identify areas for improvement, but something still needs to be done about it.

Are you first to vocalize a complaint about it? That could be good, because others could suffer or be harmed by a fault that hasn’t been identified, but again, something has to be done? Did your vocalized observation put some solution into action?

Are you first to fix it? That’s great! We really need problem solvers in the world. There are a lot of people quick to identify problems, but so few to act.

People pride themselves on delegating problems onto others. I think that can be very useful at times, but more often than not, there are just so many little things we can all do that would make the world easier for each other. We are so quick to evaluate problems of all different sizes as not our problem. That piece of paper in the hallway, not mine. The snack machine isn’t working, well, someone else will report it. And so on.

We spend our day with our list of to-dos, and job descriptions, but we fail to realize there really is a whole world of problems that aren’t on anyone’s list. They grow, multiply, and eventually hurt people.

Every now and then we spot someone special that seems to go out of his or her way, to fix a problem that clearly isn’t their problem. And we think, “Wow! I’d like to be like them.” And we either do, or don’t emulate their actions. In reality, we would find that they didn’t really go out of their way much at all. In fact, they not only made their day easier by fixing that problem, but ours’ as well.

So, go ahead, and be first to fix it.  See what happens.

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The Eight Actions to Take When Faced With a Challenge

Eight actions to take when you are faced with a challenge:

1) Remain confident. Your confidence will serve you well and get you through hard times. You can’t panic or worry. That’s not what leaders do. If you are starting to feel that way it’s time for you to review your assets and visualize a successful outcome. If at all possible find something good about what happened and make solving it admirable and if at all possible, fun.

2) Don’t worry about embarrassment nor take it personally. Time will wear those concerns away, and success will do the same even more quickly. Your energy should be spend on solutions. Worry robs us of our creativity and vitality.

3) Focus on and accept the problem. Don’t look for someone to pin this on nor pretend it’s not actually happening. Leaders aren’t looking for problems, but when one pops up they should be the first to identify and address them. Remember, you’re not really a leader unless you are facing a problem. The rest of the time you are just a person with a title. Greek and Roman myths teach us much and one point is clear: the bigger the problem the greater the hero.

4) Rally the Team. Yes, you are the leader, but you don’t face challenges alone. (Would you accept all of the credit of a success?) Now is the time for you to call your advisors forward and get help from your team and network. You are surrounded by people that can help and want to help. You need to delegate responsibilities and keep everyone focused. You don’t have to be a complete original. Get your team figuring out who has successfully dealt with this problem and see if it may will work for you. Bring them on board as a consultant. Leaders maximize the utilization of all of the resources they have in confronting a challenge.

5) Formulate and communicate the plan. In times of crisis it is best to figure out who needs to know what is going on and inform them. That list must include those that will be impacted negatively despite how uncomfortable it may feel. Be flexible. In times of challenges and crisis you must keep the lines of communication open and be willing to try multiple tactics or new approaches.

6) Take action! Hoping the problem goes away is meaningless. Get involved and get after it. Make certain that you, the leader, are involved in the work, especially some of the unpopular jobs. Doing so will

7) Evaluate your outcomes. What is working? Should you try something else? Are your resources and team being utilized effectively? What do we need to start doing, keep doing, and stop doing?

8.) Repeat steps 1-7.

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 anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired. Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

Please visit www.kellycroy.com to book Kelly for your next event, or contact him via email at info@kellycroy.com or by telephone at 1-800-831-4825.


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Remember: Losers Don’t Have Accountability Partners

When I was little I had a goldfish.  He didn’t last long. I overfed him. He died getting too much of a good thing. The food poisoned his water.

I got a second goldfish. This time my sister was assigned the job of monitoring my care of the little guy; he lasted considerably longer.

Sometimes in life we need an accountability partner that keeps us on the right path. They help us stay true to our dream, our goal, our creed.

An ideal accountability partner is someone that will be honest with you.  They have the courage to correct you when you out of line.  They hold you to a high standard. They ask tough questions. They  can humble themselves enough to compliment and encourage. They call you out when you need it, and they defend you when you’re right. They check in on you, whether you like it or not. They will not let you walk down the wrong path. They will not let you quit. With them you become better.

A tall task to ask of anyone.  So, don’t ask.

I have numerous accountability partners.  It seems I have one for nearly every interest. I have a buddy I workout with, and he encourages me to do better physically.  I have other friends that help me along my spiritual journey. They send me words of wisdom and encouragement, especially when I am down or in a dark place.  I have accountability partners that check on my writing progress, my art, even my marketing and finances.  They encourage me to do more, be more, become more. And, I asked none of them to do it.

The accountability partners you need in your life are already in position. They have been with you with you for years. You either are, or are not, listening to them. If you are sure you don’t have any, stop, and listen harder. They’re there. They’re the ones telling you, you are enjoying too much of a good thing or not doing enough. Listen.

Accountability is one of the biggest keys to success I have ever discovered. Practically anyone can write a goal down on a piece of paper, but how do you keep yourself on track?  The power of an accountability partner is remarkable.  Find someone whose life in some way captures your admiration and respect and you will be on your way.

In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary became the first man to summit Mt. Everest. Please know there were over 400 accountability partners with him on that expedition. He could not fail.

Kelly Croy is an inspirational speaker and artist. Please visitwww.kellycroy.com or call  1-800-831-4825  or email at info@kellycroy.com to book Kelly for your event. • Kelly’s  presentations have entertained and amazed audiences across the nation, anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired. Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.