Choose Your Battles Ep. 8

April 19, 2023 by Inspired Together Teachers 1 Comment

Choose Your Battles S. 1 E.8

Listen to this episode to learn how to choose your battles in order to take more control over your life.

Show Notes:

Episode Summary:

Do you sometimes feel like you are facing too many obstacles at home and at work? Are there times when you question which issues you should engage with and which you just need to let pass you by? In this episode we explore strategies you can use to decide which battles in your work and home life are worth fighting and which you should ignore.

There are so many things each day battling for our time and attention. We only have the capacity to fight so many battles at a time. Choose your battles wisely.

In this episode:

1. Why is it important to pick your battles?

Teachers are often overwhelmed with all of the things they need to do. Teachers make approximately 1,500 decisions in a day. There is the potential for A LOT of issues to arise. You can’t give every one of them your full attention.
As teachers, we are natural advocates. We see the problems, and we want to make them better. Many times we know what needs to be done to solve the problems, but it becomes overwhelming when we are constantly working to fix things.
Teachers are jacks- of -all -trades. They are expected to expected to jump in when and where it is needed.
Teachers have opinions and they are usually backed by solid experience and knowledge. We want to make things better and are quick to identify areas and issues that need improvement.

2. Recognizing the type of battle is key to deciding if you want to engage.

Major battles vs minor inconveniences
Your battles vs someone else’s battles
Systematic battles vs local battles

3.Two approaches to use in order determine what to pay attention to:

Use Your Filter

In his book, What Great Teachers do Differently, Todd Whitaker suggests that the best teachers choose their filters carefully, choosing what negatives around us that we let filter in and which we can ignore.

Use Steven Covey’s Circle of Control
In Steven Covey’s book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People he shares that issues fall into two rings: the Circle of Concern and the Circle of Influence.
The Circle of Concern is everything that troubles or concerns us. We really don’t have influence over most of these issues. These are areas where a lot of worry often occurs.
Our Circle of Influence is everything that we can control or somehow affect.
If something in your circle of concern is a big enough concern, you can decide to do something about it and move it into your circle of influence. If not, learn to let it go.
Focus your energy on things that fall into your Circle of Influence. You are likely wasting emotional energy and time on things that are in the Circle of Concern.
When you waste time and energy on things outside of your control, you can’t focus on positive aspects of your life or use your energy toward things you love to do.

4. Action Steps:

Focus your energy on things in your control.
The next time you feel yourself getting pulled into a battle, ask yourself, “Is this in my circle of Influence or should I filter it out?” If it is not in your circle of influence, filter it out.
Focus your energy on something that matters most to you.
Focus your energy on your concerns, not someone else’s. It is ok to politely decline an invitation to engage in or engage with a battle that is not yours.

Recap:

There are many things each day battling for our time and attention. We only have the capacity to fight so many battles at a time. Choose your battles wisely.

Quote:

“You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.”

Winston Churchill

Resources mentioned in this episode:

What Great Teachers Do Differently by Todd Whitaker

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Blog: Mindset Shift: Circle of Control

Podcast: Episode: 6 Set Priorities to Take 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: 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.

Prevent, Eliminate, or Recover From Stress Ep. 7

April 12, 2023 by Inspired Together Teachers 2 Comments

Listen to this episode to learn more about how you can prevent stress, eliminate the negative repercussions of stress or recover from stress.

Show Notes

Episode summary: Have you felt stress in the last day? The last week? Or maybe even in the last hour? When you understand where your stress comes from, you can find ways to prevent it, eliminate it, or recover from it. In this episode, we’ll help you get a handle on your stress!

In this episode:

Ways to prevent stress:

Reduce the number of decisions you need to make each day. Set up systems and routines.
Become a master planner.
Get clarity and prioritize- how does each thing you need to do align with your values and your purpose? Refer back to episode 6.
Overwhelm is often a problem with clarity- you don’t know where to start, which task to choose etc.
To prevent fight, flight freeze, or fawn decide ahead of time which tasks are the most important to prioritize and then get those done first. Making a physical list, in order with the most important first, will give you a clear place to start when you are ready to work.
Time block by combining like items, scheduling work and scheduling free time and family time.

Ways to eliminate stress (or stop feeling stressed):

Stop looking for the negative, you find what you focus on.
Create moments of calm, use breathing and mindfullness activities.
Know what is yours to deal with- saving the entire world is stressful!
Don’t take on other people’s stress.
Don’t stress about things that haven’t happened yet.
Remember the good stuff, celebrate good moments and events.
Remind yourself what you can be proud of.

Ways to recover from stress:

We discuss the book Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski. They share how we can recover from stress by completing the stress cycle.
In stress, your entire body and mind change in response to preceived threats.
Stressors activate stress in our bodies. Stressors can be anything that are stressors to YOU.
Stess is the neurological and physiological shift that happens in your body.
It is an evolutionary adaptive response that is deisnged to help us cope and to help us survive.
A flood of hormones come rushing in- adrenalyn, cortisol, glycogen and epiniphrine which pushes blood to your muscles.
Endorphins help you focus on the danger but not the uncomfortablness, your heart beats faster, your blood pumps harder, you increase the rate of your breathing, and attention is at high alert. Your other organs and systems slowdown.

How your body recovers from stress:

You need to stop the hormone rush and signal that your body is now safe.
That means you need to DO SOMETHING to signal your body that the stressful event is over.
Things you can do to tell your body to recover from stress: exercise, laugh, or cry.
Involuntary shuddering or shaking or uncontrolable sobbing also signals that an event is over.
Take deep breaths.
Show affection, try a 20 second hug or a long kiss with someone you love and who makes you feel safe.
Engage with pets- petting your furry friends reduces blood pressure.
Take time for creative expression- art, music or any kind of creativity allows us to move through our feelings.

Recap:

Stress is inevitable. However, there are practical steps we can take to prevent stress from happening, strategies we can use to eliminate some of the stress that already exists, and ways that we can mindfully and physically recover after we have encountered stress. Stress does not have to rule our lives.

Quote:

If you don’t get through to the light at the end of the tunnel, you stay in chronic stress.

From Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Burnount: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski

The Inspired Teacher’s Guide to Taking Back Your Life

The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self

Is Feeling Stressed Inevitable?

Connect to the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

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?

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

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

Set Priorities to Take Back Your Life Ep. 6

April 5, 2023 by Inspired Together Teachers 1 Comment

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?

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

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

March 29, 2023 by Inspired Together Teachers 2 Comments

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?

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

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

March 22, 2023 by Inspired Together Teachers 2 Comments

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