Juggling Elephants Blog

Studies have shown that it takes about 21 days to create a habit. With the New Year coming up, a lot of us will be thinking about what we want our goals or "acts" to be and how we are going to stay motivated to get them done.


Remember, the secret is to stick with it! It can take some time (at least 3 weeks) to get in the routine. Whether it is eating less, flossing more or starting that exercise plan, try this simple idea out. Take a piece of paper and write the numbers 1 through 21 for each new routine that you are wanting to implement. Each day, after completing the task you are working on, cross off a number. You will be surprised that by day 21, you will have a new habit!

Labels: self-improvement

If you are looking for that last minute gift for the holidays, here are 3 ideas that are priceless:

1. Love-Tell them that you love them and then show them with your actions.


2. Perform a random act of kindness-daily.


3. Time. Spend one on one time doing something that the other person likes to do.

Sometimes the search for the "perfect gift" gets complicated and expensive. It actually can be the simple things that make the biggest impact this holiday season and throughout the year. The most precious gift you can give someone is your time.

Labels: choices, giving

We hear so often that people are unable to focus on their most important things. In fact, it seems to be the goal of the distracted, distraught and disgusted who are tired of always "juggling elephants."

A few weeks ago I came across this quote from Dr. David Jeremiah that speaks to the importance of focus:
'Take a good hard look.' In other words, focus. In optics, focus is the point toward which light rays converge. In geometry, it's a special point used in describing conic sections. When we concentrate our attention, we are focusing. When we do it with others in an organized way, we're in a focus group. The Navy has a missile named Focus, and Ford has a car by the same name. In sports, lack of focus is often the reason given for defeat; and players in a slump try to regain their focus. When we take a blurred picture, it's because we didn't focus the camera on the right object.

In a few days most of us will be reminded of the power of focus. We will stop (or at least minimize) the number of acts in our work ring and focus (there's that word again) on our relationship ring and our self ring. What could you glean from those experiences to help you better focus (promise-last time) at work when your "holiday intermission" is over?

Labels: focus

Glassdoor.com has just published its 50 Best Places To Work. The results are based on employee feedback and input provided anonymously. The top 5 companies were:

• Southwest Airlines
• General Mills
• Slalom Consulting
• Bain and Company
• McKinsey and Company

One effective feature of the list is that you can click on a company and see what makes it a best place to work. There are a number of recurring themes, including:

• Employees are given opportunities for growth.
• The workplace environment is fun and positive.
• My ideas are valued.

If any part of your job includes managing other people, I strongly encourage you to spend a few minutes going through the list and finding some fresh ideas to help improve the performance of your people. Who knows? One day your company may make the list.

Labels: business management, employees, work/life balance

While at the NSDC conference in St. Louis this week, we were introduced to a service called "Teacher Studio." The formal description is as follows:
TeacherStudio is a vital, worldwide professional learning community allowing teachers to see, hear, and collaborate with exemplary educators in action. Through a unique combination of networking technology, rich-media, and proprietary tools, TeacherStudio allows educators from member districts to come together anytime, anywhere to share ideas, receive mentoring, and learn best practices.

An oversimplified description would be a professional development YouTube for teachers-without all the clutter and irrelevant media. Think about it. Teachers are always so busy and professional development, especially viewing the practices of seasoned veterans and dynamic instructors, is almost impossible. With this service, however, teachers in districts who subscribe to the service can leverage the best practices of their instructors and share across the district. You can also view content posted by other member school districts. The information is searchable as well so you can find just what you are looking for.

And as a teacher, you can work on your performance improvement when it works best in your "lineup." I also envision a first year teacher struggling with how to teach a concept or deal with a classroom issue-and they have waited until late in the evening to begin focusing on it. With Teacher Studio you could log on, find the information or assistance you needed and be better prepared for the next day-how cool is that? There is much more to the service-that's just one example.

How about in your organization? How convenient is professional development for your employees? With busy schedules and unique development needs of each employee, how do you make it easier for "improving myself professionally" to be an act in their lineup on a regular basis?

Labels: education, professional development, self-improvement

This week we exhibited at the NSDC (National Staff Development Council) Conference in St. Louis, MO. Participants were individuals from schools and school districts who plan professional development for their teachers, administrators and support staff. With options ranging from book club discussions to our train the trainer program to live trainers and speakers, we have an option to fit even the smallest school budget.

Time and time again as people would approach the booth they would immediately say, Juggling Elephants?!....... "That's what it feels like for our staff!"

Like corporate environments, the education climate continues to place increasing demands on it's people. Some of the "elephants" educators are dealing with include:

• Increasing student test scores with decreasing resources to accomplish it.
• Distracted students who can't stay focused on subject matter.
• Parents who are already juggling elephants and often offer little or no assistance to their children at home.
• Finding time for themselves when they are giving so much of their time and energy to be an effective educator or administrator.

If you have not done so recently, thank a teacher, principal or someone who works to support the activities of a school. They definitely don't get enough standing ovations from those of us in the audience.

Labels: education, juggling elephants

What is our potential? What are we capable of achieving? We may never know unless we are willing to dream...and then put the time and resources in place to accomplish that dream. Don’t let life just happen to you. Dream and then act!

James Allen said, The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn, the bird waits in the egg, and in the highest vision of the soul, a waking angel stirs.

Over the years I have heard on numerous occasions, "This has the potential to...." While some of the ideas had tragic flaws, others were excellent thoughts. More often than not the potential was never reached because a plan of action was never put into place.

During this season we will find ourselves being more reflective. Soon we will look a new year and long for things to be different. What are some concrete steps you could take now to help make those dreams a reality-and realize more of your potential?

Labels: personal growth, self-improvement

While researching content for our next book, I came across this quote by Henry Ford:


Wow! That's so true. Wasting time does not create (directly, anyway) something physical we can see and evaluate. Over a longer period of time we can probably "see" the impact in a cluttered desk, incomplete projects and maybe even a growing waistline. But in the moments immediately after we have wasted a few seconds or minutes there is no quick way to analyze it's result.

The quote has forced me to start building more mental pictures of the "wasted material" around me when I don't use my time effectively... and how it could have been used more wisely.

Labels: time management