Two Ways to Savor the Simple Things in Life

I asked a friend of mine about his plans for the summer and he replied with a list that read like this:

1 trip to Hungary (2 weeks)

1 trip fishing with the boys (1 week) 

4 weeks of summer camp in town (4 weeks) 

1 family reunion (1 weekend) 

I was tired just listening to his schedule and when he asked about my intentions for July and August, I shrugged and said, "Mostly small things with the kids... maybe a weekend away here or there."  

That's been our summer- a wonderful string of small things.  Compared to my buddy's itinerary, my list seems paltry but as I reflect on the kind of summer it's been, (I just can't help but measure things!)  I can't help but smile.  Our highlights have included:

• sleeping in past 5am
• watching four seasons of Lost with our 13 year old
• writing 45 pages of my dissertation
• going mountain biking with my 10 year old
• taking my daughters out to the diner for a dad-daughter string of dates
• going for long drives with Cary as our 3 year old fell asleep in his car seat
• babysitting a neighborhood 5 year old and welcoming him into our family
• painting the porch (just because)
• spending extra time in morning prayer
• getting in shape

An impressive list?  Probably not to the world.  But to me?  Absolutely priceless.  Savoring is like that- whether the rose is small or in full bloom- it still smells good.   

Two quotes come to mind when I think of this rose-smelling aspect of everyday life:

There is no better means of attainment to the spiritual life
Than by continually beginning again...  Saint Francis de Sales

and

Slow down and enjoy life.  It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.  Eddie Cantor

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TWEET THIS: There is no better means of attainment to the spiritual life Than by continually beginning again- Saint Francis de Sales #speakdigital

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The real trick is this: how do you cultivate a habit of savoring life when you are always connected and online?  I suggest first to stop comparing yourself to others.  Again, compared to my friend's summer plans, mine look pathetic.  The thing is that I could care less since I live for an audience of One (God).   

Second, slow down.  Walk slower.  Eat slower.  Drive slower.  Each of these will help you to cultivate mindfulness and gradually unplug occasionally from technology.   

I know several very holy persons. Each is very adept with technology and each is very good at savoring the simple things of life.   

You really can have it both ways. 

Photo courtesy of fdp

Four Reasons Why People Don't Use Twitter

Let's just say I might be married to someone who might have a Twitter account.  Again, let's just say... 

And let's just say that I might have a brother who has a Twitter account. Hypothetically speaking of course...

And to complete the trinity, let's just say I might happen to have a sister in law who has a Twitter account.  Following so far? 

Their commonality isn't me.  What they all have in common is that they have Twitter accounts but don't really use them.   As my three year old would say, "Wait- what?"  It's true, my wife Cary has a Twitter account, (@carystpierre) but she doesn't really use it at all.  Same goes for my other family members. 

And there are millions of other official Twitter users who activate an account and then never actually use the account.  I've found at least four reasons why folks don't use their Twitter accounts, followed by what you can do about it: 

1. They haven't downloaded a Twitter app for their smartphone. 

2. They don't feel like they have anything interesting to say. 

3. They feel like they might use Twitter "wrong" and then be criticized. 

4. They aren't in the habit of publishing what they perceive as "private" matters. 

Do any of these sound familiar? I know that when I began using Twitter, each of these was in my mind.  Still, having been a classroom teacher where you have to think like a reporter (i.e. discovering new things every single day to share with your students), I also found Twitter to be fascinating and fun. 

Michael Hyatt calls it a huge strategic opportunity for leaders. 

So let's respond to the four objections I listed above:

1. They haven't downloaded a Twitter app for their smartphone.   Solution: go to the App Store (iOS) or Play Store (Android) and download the official Twitter app for your phone. If you want to spend a few bucks, I suggest Tweetbot for your iPhone and Fenix for your Android phone- both are excellent and make Twitter even more fun.

2. They don't feel like they have anything interesting to say.   Solution: think of yourself as interesting to those that know you. You don't have to be Kim Kardashian or Bobby Flay to be interesting (although I wouldn't mind cooking like Bobby).  Your friends and family probably find you very interesting.  There are a ton of others out there who might also find your interests to be fascinating.  You do have interesting things to say!

3. They feel like they might use Twitter "wrong" and then be criticized.   Solution: there is no "wrong" in Twitterland so just go for it.  Who cares how you choose to use it? If you want to talk about bananas or Toyotas or the treehouse you're building for your kids... do it. Who cares what others think?  Twitter is what you make it to be.  Post every hour or once a day.  Tweet famous quotes.  Tweet about your favorite TV show. Tweet about how adorable your kids are. Tweet about your relationship with God.  

Here are some surprising and excellent Twitter personalities that you might want to follow and may find intriguing:

-Fr. James Martin: a Roman Catholic priest who is a voice for justic issues and faith (and occasionally appears on late night TV). 

-Erik Fisher: a podcaster who gets to interview some of the best voices in productivity (and loves bacon). 

-Nancy Caramanico: an educational consultant who hosts a weekly Tweet-up called Catholic Ed Chat (and loves the ocean). 

-Joshua Becker: a pastor who sold 50% of what he had and now writes about simple living (and how his wife didn't divorce him in the process). 

4. They aren't in the habit of publishing what they perceive as "private" matters.  The internet has made the lines between public and private very blurry.  I'm not suggesting that you should be tweeting during child birth or as someone is dying.  (although both have been done!)  Solution: post things that interest you.  Don't worry too much about whether they are public or private.   Focus on what captures your imagination and your fancy.  Try different things out.  

This post was a long time coming.  I felt that I had to write it, especially after seeing the people I love try to use Twitter but face common roadblocks.   By testing out the four solutions above, you'll enjoy Twitter more and overcome obstacles that all of us face from time to time.

What do you find most useful about Twitter?  Which obstacles did you have to overcome in order to get more out of Twitter? 

Photo courtesy of fdp

New Podcast with Nozbe Founder Michael Sliwinski

Nancy and I had the privilege of interviewing Michael Sliwinski of Nozbe and Productive Magazine earlier this summer.  What a thrill!  

In this episode we talk about GTD (Getting Things Done), the power of Nozbe, and how schools can help their students to be more productive.  Enjoy the cast!

One Secret that Great Leaders Know About Summer

School folks love this time of year.  It's the proverbial "best part of being a teacher", i.e. July and August.  That's partly true and I often wonder how people with "regular jobs" manage to get through the year without a breather in the summer.

Here's the thing- the best school people I know learned long ago that summer goes best when you keep to a schedule.  For me, this means going to bed at the same time as during the school year and getting up at the same time.  I know- b-o-r-i-n-g! But guess what?  It works and works really well for me.  The only tweak I practice is to leave at 3 or 4 in the afternoons.  That's it.

Keep a schedule to get the maximum productivity of summer and still enjoy the benefits of a few months with fewer interruptions.  After all, it's summer.

5 Signs That You are a Digital Leader

The scene was intimidating enough- a huge conference table with ten folks on one side and one job candidate on the other side.  Like speed dating, the interviewers fired question after question at the candidate.  Finally, THE question that was on my page came due-

"Can you tell us about your own personal use of technology?"

The answer was telling.  All of his cards were laid bare on the table as it became clear that he was not (yet) a true digital leader.  He said with the slightest grimace on his face, "Well, I have an iPhone... I have some apps... I like computers."  And on it went.

Candidate Joe was a good guy.  He did have an iPhone and did answer as best as he could.  The issue was whether he was a deeply inspired digital leader.  He wasn't.

How do you know if you are (or are becoming) a digital school leader?  Here are some signs:

1. You are truly mobile.  This is true if you need to charge your phone in the afternoon- a sign that you use your smartphone (you have one right?) a lot.
2. You embrace social media.  You Tweet, use Google Plus, get Instagram, and understand the value of the new culture of sharing.  (you can follow me on all of these here)
3. You collaborate online.  My team uses Asana but you can also use Slack or even Nozbe.  The key is in cutting down on email and working with a team via shared documents or virtual meetings.  
4. You use a digital task manager.  I like Nozbe and Todoist the best but it really doesn't matter- find one you like and use it every single day.  Paper is great but when you manage 20-30 projects at a time, digital is the way to go.
5. You respect email.  Responding to email within 24 hours is something you take very, very seriously.  I like Gmail and Airmail for Mac.

So with these in mind, are you a digital leader?  If not, can you choose one of the five signs and dive in within the next 24 hours?  

*photo courtesy of FDP

One Easy Way to Shorten Your Meetings

On any given day, I have meetings to attend.  You probably do too.  The problem is that most meetings go longer than they should.  

So how can you shorten them, outside of cancelling them altogether?  Before I tell you, let's call out something that routinely happens in schools.  Our meetings "linger" and lingering can add up over time.

Lingering is the process at the beginning of a meeting when folks make small talk. It's also present at the end of a meeting when folks know that they are done but hang around anyway.

Why does this happen?  "Nice guy syndrome" could be one culprit. We just find it hard to say that we're done and as a result, we hang out for just a few minutes to chit-chat and talk.  The problem is that this behavior can add five minutes here and five minutes there. 

Before you know it, your five minutes here and there have added up to a half hour over the course of a workday and possibly hours over the course of a month.  I just don't have that kind of time to spend on chit-chat and I bet you don't either.

Here's a solution that works well for me and my team: when the meeting is done, use a verbal trigger and simply stand up.  Our trigger is "ok we're good, thank you everyone" and we disperse.  Standing up will feel harsh at first but after a while, folks will get used to it.

Most importantly, you'll start using your time more efficiently and maximize your day.

Question: what works for you when it comes to ending meetings on  time?