Tag: #mondaymotivation

Not me, not today, maybe tomorrow

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Have you ever questioned if you should, could, or would? Is there a voice that tells you not today, maybe tomorrow, but when it becomes tomorrow, you start over?

If this sounds like you, you are not alone! How do you overcome this negative talk? One day, each moment and every second of the day by saying: I can, I will, I am going to work each day to get closer to my goals and to make a positive impact. We do not have to invent the next big device, create the best masterpiece or become famous for a great speech. It is in the day to day actions we take to improve the lives of those around us and others in the world we share.

It seems sometimes we place a great deal of pressure on ourselves to measure our accomplishments, wealth, social media “likes,” “followers,” or “shares.” We also look at what we have or don’t have.

If we do this as adults, think about the pressure children experience with all of the sources they have to ensure they get the approval rating they seek. When does the negative talk start?

How can we dial down these sources of frustration? What are other sources? These sources contribute to our negative self-talk. What can leaders do to increase positive sources of impact on lives daily?

  • Know the individuals who work with you. Greet them by name each day.
  • When an individual is absent and they return say, “I am glad to see you today; we missed you.” If you know why they were gone, be careful not to make a public statement as they may not want others to know.
  • Provide positive praise when achieved, do not fake anything.
  • Ask how you can help.

It is not easy to escape situations that can impact our lives negatively, but with knowledge of how to manage these situations, we can prevent the impact on our lives. We need to start teaching these strategies early in life as we know technology is introduced to our children at an early age and as the sources increase, the possibility of negatives can occur.

It is you, yes today and tomorrow, to help yourself and others bring positives each day to drown out the negatives!

Imagine, what words would you choose?

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In 2004 Rolling Stones labeled John Lennon’s song Imagine the third greatest song of all time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Stone%27s_500_Greatest_Songs_of_All_Time The list was updated again in 2010, and it remains in its same ranked position.

I have utilized the theme of “Imagine” several times over my career in education in different settings and ways. It is a timeless vision of hope and inspiration. The word has been used in the last couple of years as “re-imagine” to view how things already established should be changed. Could manipulating the word imagine like this take the elements of hope and inspiration away?

I am guilty of getting caught up in the overuse of word verbiage and trying to do catchy phrasing to grab the attention of others. Creativity should never risk the foundation of the meaning. Imagine is creating “new ideas.” We need foundations as a world to stand on for us to begin to live as one.

The song Imagine by Lennon was recorded in 1971. During this year, society was feeling the turmoil of the ’60s as demonstrations were being held against the Vietnam War. Apollo 15 landed on the moon. Gloria Steinem spoke in America at the feminist movement. A hectic time in society.

Looking at our society today, we are living and feeling turmoil as well. We have experienced demonstrations, an established Space Force now, and a “Me too” movement to support women’s healing involved in sexual violence. In addition, dealing with a global pandemic, mistrust in government, clear divisions, continued rise of social and mental health needs, and the list could continue. Parents are apprehensive about their children’s education during this time of shutdowns, mask mandates, vaccination mandates, curriculum modifications, and how to address the needs of all children.

Music and education reflect what happens in society during the points of time in history. One of my favorite songs is Heal the World by Michael Jackson; he released it in 1991. It is a beautiful song and reminder of clips of history we have overcome but still work to keep moving forward in making things better for the next generation. This short video clip of Kids United is from 2016.

If you could write a song for today to help inspire those worldwide, what would be the key phrases you would use? Would you please share a few thoughts and impressions? I look forward to words of encouragement, wisdom, inspiration, and more!

A foundational piece we can stand on to move forward with improvements for the next generation and to fuel our souls with hope begins with_________________.

My Day is great, because of you!

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It is a blessed day because of you! Share Monday motivation, moments of kindness, minutes of memory-making, and more meaningful conversations with those you meet!

Pick a favorite quote and post it so you can see it all the time. Could you share them with others? Drop a note to co-workers, be the positive light and help others find hope.

Motivation-Validation

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Monday’s can be a day measured differently for many. It is based on the life experiences of the weekend, the feelings they have for where they are, expectations, mindsets, and the culture.

Life journeys are different for each of us. Many things are not visible and are hard to detect. It takes effort to work on really getting to know someone else. Sometimes individuals will tell you just what you want to hear to get out of the situation.

Making connections with others is vital in an organization, workplace, and especially a school. No matter the age or position, individuals want to be seen, heard, and validated.

Have you ever been asked to come to your boss’s office to discuss a private issue and then when you arrive they are not there? A teacher looks at you and does not know your name? A group of co-workers is gathered talking about a great book they have all decided to read, but you have never heard about it?

Many things send signals to others that we do not value them. Individuals will take this information and store it. Over time incidents like these add up and devalued them to the point where they no longer work at the level of their potential. In children, this can be a detrimental factor in the trajectory of their development. We know in adults and others this can lead to enhance already existing mental health issues or bring about onsets of anxiety and depression.

Make Monday’s different for others. Let’s make every day different, but we will start today! I had some fantastic people who would join in my silly stuff sometimes, and it made days fun! Our technology department would play Happy Birthday with actual names to people over phones speakers, do pictures on your computer screens to brighten your day when you came in to start your day, and some funny cat jokes with pictures on occasion. Thanks, Scott and Alan!

Check out this video on how this school strategically looked at how to make sure adults were connecting with all students. You can do things similar to this with staff through fun boards, chats, and contests. https://www.edutopia.org/video/making-sure-each-child-known

Be the solution daily in helping others know their value! Thank you for helping choose to be the solution!

It only takes a spark!

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“The power just went out; I can’t see a thing.”

“Hang on, I know I have candles somewhere. Oh no, only one match! I hope we can get the candle going with one match. Then we can start the others.”

Moving to the country on our own as a young family took a little getting used to. Planning out what was needed in emergencies like power outages, snowstorms, ice, and so much more!

Listening to the evening news, we hear about fires out west. It only takes one spark to get a fire going, and it spreads fast. This message was loud and clear.

“Please take out the red hymnal books and turn to page 495 and the song Pass it on.” My favorite song! “It only takes a spark to get a fire going. That’s how it is with God’s love.”

Putting the spark in Leadership

I have utilized these messages about a spark to light my path igniting the fire in others for many years. It is what leaders do. At first, I did not recognize it as a leadership trait, but it is! The best kind of leadership trait. It is support, passion, authenticity, relationships, and knowledge-SPARK, all in one!

As leaders, we do not recognize things as part of a “formalized” plan of skills. We do what we feel natural in doing. However, with this being said, leaders are constantly learning and absorbing ways to improve. They pass this on to those they serve, lighting a fire to ignite success.

In my solution-focused approach to leadership, it is natural always to look for solutions. When you focus on solutions, positive mindsets are the results. Supporting those you serve as they work to provide solutions is a positive part of the day. Positive support naturally creates a positive work climate where everyone feels safe, supported, and confident.

Showing our passion for what we do is a contagious attribute. The love we have is something we do not want to hide. Providing and sharing this passion with our team helps to keep the spirit going. Opportunities to try new things, ideas and to enjoy what we do.

During our time of support and showing others the passion we have for what we do, it is in how we do and not always what we say. Being authentic in what you say and do brings authenticity to how we lead. Authentic leaders and teams bring truth, honesty, and the spirit of collaboration. These components secure loyalty and lift the team to reach higher levels. This weaves into the natural building of relationships as the level of trust has been established through the work of support, passion, and authenticity. These components are all needed to work together to begin to flicker the spark.

The last piece most feel is essential. Leaders think they need to have the most knowledge to lead. It is not the leader who holds the knowledge; it is within the team. Each member brings their knowledge, strengths, and talents to support the passion for achieving success. The leader knows how to help get the team to the end goal as the team works together.

Take away

  • Support- Provide your team with the support they need to accomplish the goals. Keep the positive mindset with always a positive solution-focused approach.
  • Passion- Share the love for what we do! Celebrate the tiny, small, and big wins daily. It is contagious! Spread it!
  • Authenticity- It is what we say and do that helps to inspire trust in our teams. As this is established, loyalty follows as well as a foundation for our team.
  • Relationships- Building positive relationships focused on solutions keeps mindsets positive and establishes collaboration to accomplish set goals.
  • Knowledge- Recognizing the knowledge and skills of the team further enhances the foundation for collaborative success. Leaders only need the understanding of how to help the team utilize their talents together to accomplish success.

It only takes a SPARK to get a fire going, and soon all those around will: warm up to its glowing, grow within its light, shine brighter and be thankful for the spark! Thank you for being part of the solution daily!

Efficacy

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Efficacy is a word we hear a great deal. Do we understand what it means in its various uses? Efficacy is the ability to perform a task to an expected degree or satisfaction; being successful in producing an intended result or effectiveness.

Providing ourselves with a basic understanding of the definition helps guide us when efficacy is used with other words like: Self-efficacy, Teacher-efficacy or Collective-efficacy. Each of these areas of use is important to the overall growth desired.

Self-efficacy is the most critical piece in my professional opinion to completing the puzzle for completion of success. Self-efficacy is the foundation for motivation, well-being, and overall accomplishment. It is a feeling of self-worth. As individuals develop efficacy, they are influenced by four areas, according to Professor Albert Bandura.

Professor Albert Bandura in this article https://positivepsychology.com/bandura-self-efficacy/ provides information to help with understanding his theory.

Four Areas

  • Mastering Experiences
  • Vicarious Experiences
  • Verbal Persuasion
  • Emotional and Physiological States

Action Steps

  • Make a list of experiences with direct impact mastered by overcoming an obstacle, controlling an environment, or from resilience. Great to do with staff.
  • Provide examples of people similar who have achieved. If they can, we can. Local individuals are great to use as examples.
  • Establish a system of support (SOS). Individuals who are able to influence others with words to strengthen others on the team. Parents, leaders, co-workers, coaches and others are great resources.
  • Mindsets are critical. This is an important piece to help prevent triggers that could interrupt you or take away your confidence. Make the king of mindsets part of your plan.

Life is short….but the week seems long

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As the sun rises and shines brightly to wake us to a new day or as we reach to hit the snooze button on the alarm clock, it is Monday! A workweek begins as the weekend is behind us now!

Where does the time go? Just like that, Friday turns to Monday. We get 168 hours every week. For most of us, we spend 40 hours of that time at work. So what do we do with the rest of the time? How much is spent watching TV? How much time do you spend on your phone, computer, or any other devices?

Take a look this week at the time you spend on activities. How do you want to improve? Make this Monday a day where you decide to invest your time wisely. You can track your screen time, maintain a calendar to highlight how you are spending time. Do you want to have more personal contact with others? Make a goal and track it.

Time is a gift with no return. Once the minute has passed, we can not get it back. No one can give you more time, but people can share time. Could you make the most of the time we have? It seems we are creating problems with no solutions, fighting about so much, and forgetting about gratitude. We have so much we can do with our time. Being the solution daily with a positive focus of hope, love, and gratitude seems to work the best for me.

Make the first move! It is Monday!

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Do you hold yourself back? Are you afraid to try something, ask a question, or make a big move? Maybe you are thinking of a career change, and you are making lists of the reasons to say yes and no. Well, what is it? Make the first move on whatever you are thinking that is holding you back from a positive impact on your life.

I was telling my granddaughter about the first time I tried out from the high school dance team. I had made up the routine and worked with the group of girls trying out with me. After all, I had been dancing for years.

The day came for tryouts, and I had a couple of girls not sure of themselves. Being the person I am, I looked at them a couple of times to reassure them during tryouts. You guessed it; everyone made it but me.

It was a tough time for me but a great lesson as well. It helped me gain more strength, determination, and courage. I tried out again and made it the next three years. Was making the squad going to help me for my career path? It did! I learned a great deal about leadership, teamwork, and compassion. The most critical skills for me were courage, determination, and confidence.

Find common ground with your team and yourself. List any barriers standing in the way of moving forward to gain positive results. Tackle just one today. Get one off the list. When you can get a win the rest will begin to come into place!

Today I am going to address the labels I have placed on myself. These are coming off today as I focus on the rewrite of my book. I do believe I have words, thoughts and ideas to help others make tomorrow better than today!

Let’s be the solution daily for ourselves and others today!

Do you have to agree with everything to like someone?

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As I began to write, I reviewed what I have done to this point. What am I trying to accomplish? Is anyone reading, do people like what I am writing, and how do I know?

The purpose of my writing is to provide help, support, encouragement, and to gain interest in my writing to publish my book Two Rule School. I am not seeking to make lots of money but to be the solution for others as they seek out answers. We know we get into professional careers of service to serve others, not ourselves.

In my blog title, I ask an essential question that holds people back when looking for solutions. We limit ourselves when we eliminate others because of positions, religious beliefs, political parties they belong to , and biases we place on others.

Opening our minds and hearts provide us with opportunities to see different perspectives on issues to find solutions. It is the egos and wanting to gain power at times that get in the way of the greater good for all.

In order to find solutions, our ears must be used to hear others. Right now leadership is needed more than ever in our society. “In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it.”-Marianne Williamson

One of my favorite Presidents is Abraham Lincoln. It is not because of all the things that first come to mind. He was from the Republican party, and many other factors come to mind that contributes to why someone would select him as a favorite. Mine comes from studying him as a child. He failed many times, but he never gave up. He was not that attractive, but he did not care what people said about how he looked. He fought to make things fair for everyone. As a child, this inspired me. I was battling some of these same things. I wanted everyone to be treated fairly; it did not matter how you looked and failed to try again.

We need to look at communities. We have all decided to have a home in a place we call community. However, the community of today is not the same as the communities from many years ago. We do not know who lives next door in most cases.

To begin to pick up the pieces and start healing, we have to reconnect our communities. We need a collective we in our community to grow, start healing, stop violence and start working together to raise together.

Our country is better than anything we have seen since this Covid-19 hit our country. It has placed a tremendous amount of stress, fear, and unrest on us. We need to begin to make a shift to get back together to solve our issues together. We can work in a respectful, peaceful, and logical way.

Start today with understanding your community and its history. Volunteer, get involved with a group, or attend some events. Meet some of the people in your community. Start with your school if you have children, the library, grocery store, and the post office. Many ways to begin to connect!

Thank you for being the solution daily! Let’s connect!