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Set Priorities to Take Back Your Life Ep. 6

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Inspired Together Teachers Podcast Episode 6 Set Priorities to Take Back Your Life

Listen to this episode to find out how you can reduce overwhelm by learning to set priorities based on your values, purpose, vision and goals.

Show notes: 

Episode Summary:

Have you ever found yourself with so much to do that you are so overwhelmed you don’t even know where to begin? Do you often feel that you’re stretched too thin? In today’s episode we’re going to talk about how to set priorities.  Asking yourself a few questions each day can lead to the clarity to help you set priorities and take control of your life.

In this episode: 

 1. When you set priorities,  you need to align your actions with your values and purpose.

  • Start with why.
  • Live by design, not by default.

Ask your self questions:

  • What is most important to you?
  • What matters most right now?
  • Who needs me on my A game?
  • What is best for ME?
  • If everything is a priority, nothing is.

2. Action steps you can take when finding your why or to answer some of those questions:

  • Search for a quote that inspires you and reminds you of what is most important in your life. Keep it near you.
  • Plan your ideal day, your ideal week, your ideal life. What do you really want?
  • Learn to filter your decisions through the lens of who you want to be and what you value. Knowing your why provides a clear filter for decision making.
  • Protect the basics.
  • Eliminate the non -essentials.

‌3.  Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

Quote

“Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done.”

Greg McKeown, Essentialism

Nature abhors a vacuum.

  • If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will.
  • The good get asked to do more.
  • Consider what you will need to trade to take on another project.
  • Don’t make committments you can’t or don’t want to keep.
  • Learn to say no with grace.
  • If it isn’t a heck yes, its a heck no.
  • Know when it is not your problem- helpers naturally want to solve problems, but sometimes, it is not your problem to solve. Don’t rob people of their problems.
  • Having boundaries will give you freedom.
  • Know your deal-breakers.

‌4.  Essentialism tips

  • Less but more is better.
  • The Pareto principle (aka the 80/20 rule) says that 80% of effects come from 20% of effort.
  • Look ahead, plan ahead.
  • Add 50 % to your time estimates and create a margin for calmness.
  • Remove obstacles- ask yourself, what could prevent me from going forward smoothly?
  • You can multitask, but you can’t multi-focus.
  • You can’t do essential work without rest, sleep, and play.
  • It is not humanly possible to be everything to everyone. You are not going to be the first person to ever do that so don’t even try.
  • Beware of casual commitments.

‌Recap:

Many teachers live in a constant state of overwhelm, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If you start with a vision and purpose, you can learn to recognize and choose the essential things, so that you can do the things that matter most.

Quote:

“Once you give yourself persmission to stop trying to do it all, to stop saying yes to everyone, you can make your highest contribution towards the things that really matter.”

Greg McKeown, Essentialism

‌

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

Essentialism, by Greg Mckeown

The Inspired Teacher’s Guide to Taking Back Your Life

 

Connect with the Inspired together Teachers Community:

Download our FREE resource, The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Website: https:www.inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook: Inspired Together Teachers

Facebook Teacher Warriors Group: Teacher Warriors Facebook Group

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inspired-together-learning/

 

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

If you are dedicated and caring but often overwhelmed and exhausted, join us at Inspired Together Teachers. We’ll give you inspiration, strategies and tips that help you navigate life’s challenges as a stronger, more confident, and more joy filled person, both in and out of the classroom.

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Co-hosts Paula Schmidt and Michele Vosberg are award winning educators with the experience and skills to help teachers thrive in life and work. They’ve taught at all levels, worked with thousands of teachers, and conducted workshops around the world. They are also the authors of the #1 best-selling book The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to live an inspired life.

 

 

The Power of Community Ep.5

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The power of community episode 5

 

Listen to this episode to learn about how you can find or create systems of support so that you can access the power of community. 

Show Notes: 

Episode summary: 

Did you know that there is an invisible system of support that is available to all of us? Life is challenging, and we need all the support we can get. How can you become connected to this kind of system or even help to create it? In today’s episode, we’re talking about the power of community.

Author and happiness researcher Shawn Achor says, “True happiness and success can’t be pursued alone. We need the support of others, those who “get it” and keep us inspired, help us think in new ways and collectively make each other better.”

We want you to find and acess the power of community. You deserve to be surrounded by others who life you up and make you better.

In this episode: 

Topic 1: The (Sometimes Unseen) Immense Power of Community

  • The tree story- how intertwined tree roots make forests and individual tress stronger
  • Why we use a tree in our logo and other materials
  • What positive community in schools looks like

Topic 2: How to identify a struggling school community

  • What are signs that a school is NOT working as a community?

Topic 3: Ways to strengthen your school or personal support system

  • In the book Culture Code, NY Times Best Selling author Daniel Coyle suggests three characteristics of highly successful groups: Build Safety, Share Vulnerability, and Establish Purpose.
  • Example: what does safety, vulnerability, and purpose look like at school?
  • Example: what does safety, vulnerability, and purpose look like at home?

 

Quote 

“Ecologists tell us that a tree planted in a clearing of an old forest will grow more successfully than one planted in an open field. The reason, it seems, is that the roots of the forest tree are able to follow the intricate pathways created by former trees and thus embed themselves more deeply. Indeed, over time, the roots of many trees may actually graft themselves to one another, creating an interdependent mat of life hidden beneath the earth. This literally enables the stronger trees to share resources with the weaker so the whole forest becomes healthier.

Similarly, human beings thrive best when we grow in the presence of those who have gone before. Our roots may not follow every available pathway, but we are able to become more fully ourselves because of the presence of others.  “I am who I am because we are,” goes the saying, and mentors are a vital part of the invisible mat of our lives.”

Louis J. Zachary (2000). The Mentor’s Guide: Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships, (pg xiii)

 

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

Big Potential: How Transforming the Pursuit of Success Raises Our Achievement, Happiness, and Well Being by Shawn Achor

Culture Code: The Secret of Highly Successful Groups, Daniel Coyle

The Mentor’s Guide: Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships, Louis J. Zachary

 

Related episodes and blog posts: 

Don’t Be the Colleague that Others Want to Avoid

Inspired books: Big Potential

Use Your Team to help You Thrive

How to Strengthen Your Inner Teacher Warrior

How Well Does Your Team Function? 

 

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life

Website: inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook:  Inspired Together Teachers | Facebook

Facebook Teacher Warriors Group: TeacherWarriors Facebook Group

Linked In: Inspired Together Teachers

 

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

If you are dedicated and caring but often overwhelmed and exhausted, join us at Inspired Together Teachers. We’ll give you inspiration, strategies and tips that help you navigate life’s challenges as a stronger, more confident, and more joy filled person, both in and out of the classroom.

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Co-hosts Paula Schmidt and Michele Vosberg are award winning educators with the experience and skills to help teachers thrive in life and work. They’ve taught at all levels, worked with thousands of teachers, and conducted workshops around the world. They are also the authors of the #1 best-selling book The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to live an inspired life.

 

 

 

How to Grow in Confidence Ep. 4

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Listen to this episode to understand how confidence affects you and your students and learn ways to grow in confidence.

Show Notes: 

Episode summary: 

Have you ever struggled with confidence? Have you ever had an experience that shook your confidence? In this episode we’re talking about confidence and how you can grow in confidence.

You CAN take steps to become more confident. You have many qualities that make you a good teacher. Step into your own uniqueness, embrace your own teaching style, and accept that despite bad days and struggles, you have a valuable role to play in the lives of the students you teach.

In this episode: 

Topic 1:  Why confidence matters

  • How confidence helps you as a teacher
  • How your confidence impacts your students and others in your life

Topic 2: When your confidence is shaken

  • How do we lose confidence?
  • Signs that you might be lacking confidence

Topic 3: Steps to take to grow in confidence

  • Stop trying to be perfect.
  • Accept that your To-Do list will never be finished.
  • Realize that not everyone will love everything you do.
  • Own your own unique gifts and talents.
  • Stop thinking that you are an imposter.
  • Recognize your own successes

Quote

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right. “

Henry Ford

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

Ted Talk: How to Build Your Confidence and Spark it In Others, former 3rd grade teacher and activist Brittany Packnett Cunningham

Students also learn more when teachers are more confident. (Mojavezi & Tamiz, 2012).

Related episodes and blog posts: 

Build Your Teacher Confidence

How to Increase Teacher Confidence

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community: 

Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life

Website: inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook:  Inspired Together Teachers | Facebook

Facebook Teacher Warriors Group: TeacherWarriors Facebook Group

Linked In: Inspired Together Teachers

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

If you are dedicated and caring but often overwhelmed and exhausted, join us at Inspired Together Teachers. We’ll give you inspiration, strategies and tips that help you navigate life’s challenges as a stronger, more confident, and more joy filled person, both in and out of the classroom.

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Co-hosts Paula Schmidt and Michele Vosberg are award winning educators with the experience and skills to help teachers thrive in life and work. They’ve taught at all levels, worked with thousands of teachers, and conducted workshops around the world. They are also the authors of the #1 best-selling book The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to live an inspired life.

 

Creating Happiness Ep. 3

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Check out the full episode below to learn how what we have learned from research can guide us in creating happiness.

 

Show Notes:

Episode summary:

Do you want more happiness in your work and home life? Don’t we all? In today’s episode we’re going to talk about research- based ways to up your happiness game. You are in charge of creating your own happiness!

In this episode: 

Topic1:  What do we know about happiness?

Topic 2: Creating Happiness is a mindset shift.

Topic 3: Neuroplasticity

  • Neuroplasticity is how we change our brain by creating new pathways.
  • The science of neuroplasticity tells us that we can adjust our mindset.
  • Our beliefs can change the result of our personal lives and our work.

Topic 4:  Action Steps for Creating Happiness

Quotes:

“What we spend our time and mental energy on can become our reality.”

Shawn Achor

“Happiness is not the belief that we don’t need to change- it is the realization that we can.”

Shawn Achor -The Happiness Advantage

“The data suggests that becoming happier is a lot like learning to play the violin or row crew. They’re not impossible, you just have to commit to practicing.”

Laurie Santos

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor

Related episodes and posts: 

8 Simple Ways to Create a Joyful Classroom

Bring Joy and Celebration Back to Teaching

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Website: https:www.inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook: Inspired Together Teachers

Facebook Teacher Warriors Group: Teacher Warriors Facebook Group

Linked In:  Inspired Together Teachers

 More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

If you are dedicated and caring but often overwhelmed and exhausted, join us at Inspired Together Teachers. We’ll give you inspiration, strategies and tips that help you navigate life’s challenges as a stronger, more confident, and more joy filled person, both in and out of the classroom.

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Co-hosts Paula Schmidt and Michele Vosberg are award winning educators with the experience and skills to help teachers thrive in life and work. They’ve taught at all levels, worked with thousands of teachers, and conducted workshops around the world. They are also the authors of the #1 best-selling book The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to live an inspired life.

What Every Teacher Needs to Know About Motivation Ep.2

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engaged children What Every TEacher Needs to Know About Motivation

Listen to this episode to learn more about why your students aren’t motivated and what to do to solve the problem.

 

Episode Summary:

Have you ever struggled to motivate yourself to do something? Have you ever struggled with student motivation? What about motivation of family members or friends? Well listen up, because today’s episode will rock your world.

Understanding how motivation works is key to creating circumstances for motivation to occur. We are motivated by having autonomy, the opportunity to master things and by finding purpose in our work. Once you understand this, it can change your teaching and your life.

In this episode:

Topic 1: We set the stage by discussing how motivation works.

Topic 2: There are three key factors to motivation- autonomy, mastery and purpose. What does autonomy look like and how can we use it to increase motivation?

Topic 3: Mastery is the desire to get better and better at something that matters. How can you add opportunities for mastery into your work and into your life?

Topic 4:  Finding purpose in whatever we do helps with motivation. What are some ways you can add purpose into your life and work?

Topic 5: How can you ”Solve” motivation problems? We share ideas to help you increase motivation in your world.

Quote:

“ There are only two ways to influence human behavior, you can manipulate it or you can inspire it.”

Simon Sinek

Quote:

“The most deeply motivated people- not to mention those who are most productive and most satisfied- hitch their desires to a cause larger than themselves. “

Daniel Pink

Resources mentioned in this episode:  

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

 Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Website: https:www.inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook: Inspired Together Teachers

Facebook Teacher Warriors Group: Teacher Warriors Facebook Group

Linked In:  Inspired Together Teachers

 More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

If you are dedicated and caring but often overwhelmed and exhausted, join us at Inspired Together Teachers. We’ll give you inspiration, strategies and tips that help you navigate life’s challenges as a stronger, more confident, and more joy filled person, both in and out of the classroom.

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Co-hosts Paula Schmidt and Michele Vosberg are award winning educators with the experience and skills to help teachers thrive in life and work. They’ve taught at all levels, worked with thousands of teachers, and conducted workshops around the world. They are also the authors of the #1 best-selling book The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.

 

 

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