Inspirations for 2014, the computer saved the radio!

With the New Year comes an evaluation of the last year, followed by plans to improve the upcoming year.  Lately I have been improving my outlook on the world through many different outlets on the internet.  Many of them have been very inspiring for me to plan my year and take a new look on how I go through my life.

As a busy business owner and mother, it’s hard for me to go to lectures and workshops.  Lucky for me in today’s savvy media world, I can put on my headphones and take a class, listen to a lecture or have a discussion in a topic of my interest.   Radio shows about human struggles and accomplishments can inspire you in your everyday.  Now with streaming, I can listen  to most radio programs on my schedule.  I listen to my favorite programs or podcasts while working in my workshop.  Two I enjoy often are Hidden Kitchens and This American Life.  Don't miss King's Candy: A New Orleans Kitchen Vision.

Ted Talks offers diverse subjects and many inspirational speakers. 

Jarret J. Krosocczka offers his amazing journey from kid to an artist here.

Amy Cuddy’s Ted Talk about body language ends with a personal story at the end that is so inspiring. 

When I want to learn something new and want more then a how to book, I have been turning to online courses. Craftsy has been great. Classes I can watch or rewatch, paced on my own time.  They also offer free courses to get you hooked.

A new site I found is Skillshare.  They have designed their learning experience to be a project.  There are videos followed by assignments that apply to how you want to use the skill they are sharing.  I promised myself that I would become better organized so I needed a system to get all the to dos out of my head so I could be less stressed and get the important things done to achieve my goals.  I got myself set up with a system with Tiago Forte’s Get Stuff Done Like A Boss:Design your Workflow and double your productivity in 21 days.  

I have also enjoyed Jeff Staple’s A Staple of Branding: How to Start Your Fashion Company.

His story with mistakes and successes in business is useful beyond just making apparel.

A friend has started Creative Life Coaching, Karmen Lizzul where she does radio broadcasts with people about creativity.  One broadcast was  with Erin Cochran of Revealing design.  If you have ever found your workspace has gotten a little out of hand this is the lady to listen to.  She has some great ideas and revelations on how to create a space that lets you enjoy and focus on what you do.  

Listen Here

I've got my space cleaned out, my goals set, my inspirations and mentors playing in my ears.  2014 is going to rock!

Karen - LarkPractial

Creating Success From The Inside Out - Writing Goals

Lisa from Merry Alchemy is back with part four of her series about creating success from the inside out - today we learn to believe it is possible.

I don’t know about you, but when I go to the supermarket without a list, it leads to all kinds of bad.  Not only does it take a lot more time to gather what I need, I usually forget items (like the beef for that night’s beef stew!).  And of course, I end up buying things that I don’t want (or need) to begin with.  How did that Nutella end up in my basket anyway?!
Achieving your goals is a lot like shopping.  It’s best done with a list.  By taking the time to write down what you want to achieve, you are acknowledging what you want and, by nature of exclusion, what you don’t want.  There are lots of ways to record goals: a list, a goals book (put one goal at the top of each page and you can add drawings or photos to strengthen your vision), or put goals on individual index cards.  No matter how you choose to record your goals, make sure it is easy to read and something that you will go back to.

Also, just like shopping, you will find yourself closer to achieving your goals if you follow your list.  Your list will help you focus your energies on the things that are important to you.  So when you write out your to-do list for each day or week, you can be sure that your tasks are going to help you achieve those goals.

Hands Notecards by Karmabee on Etsy

Here are some tried and true tips for writing goals:

Make sure when you are writing your goals that you are specific so that they are measurable.  Instead of “I will do more craft fairs”, say something like “I will participate in 10 craft fairs by June 30^th of 2013.  That way you have a day of reckoning and it will also help you measure progress.

Write different levels of goals – smaller short term goals as well as longer term goals and even a “breakout goal” (that goal that seems like a pipe dream, but if you achieve will change your life)

When you are done writing your goals, be sure to read them every day.  The more times a day you read them over, the more internalized they will become and the more your subconscious will draw to you what you need to achieve those goals.

What are your suggestions for writing goals?  How do you keep track of your goals?

Happy goal writing!

Check out the first three parts of this series.....
Creating Success From The Inside Out
Taking 100% Responsibility For Your Life
Believe It's Possible

Creating Success from the Inside Out - Believe It Is Possible

Lisa from Merry Alchemy is back with part three of her series about creating success from the inside out - today we learn to believe it is possible.

Sunrise Tree With Fairy Pendant from Get Glassy

I’m a firm believer in the law of attraction – Ask, Believe, Receive – because of a profound experience I had two years ago.  After several wrong relationships and one failed engagement over the course of my adult life, I was growing disheartened about ever finding a life partner.  I had recently broken up with a long-time boyfriend.  I had one big disappointment on Match.com.  I was ready to throw in the towel and go become a monk in Tibet.  Then I watched my DVD of The Secret.  I recognized that until I really believed it was possible to find a wonderful man and a great relationship, I would never draw that to me.  So I double downed my efforts and spent a lot of time prepping mentally to accept the right partner into my life.  It may sound cheesy, but I visualized the way I wanted my life to be with this special person in it.  As the experts tell you in The Secret, you need to do more than visualize what you want.  You need to believe you already have it.  That means conjuring up the feelings of happiness and elation that you will experience when you do have what you want.  So I did that, too.  I convinced myself that it was possible for me to find that person.  As a result, I became happier.  Within two months, I met him.  After all the struggles of previous relationships, I finally felt the rightness of a good relationship.    The fact that he lived in New York and I lived in Boston when we met added to the amazement of our meeting.  How did we find each other?  In redoubling my efforts on Match, I accidentally typed in a wrong zip code without realizing it.  A happy accident, yes; but I also think the Universe had something to do with it!  And now Kris and I are getting married this October and are incredibly excited.

That’s why I firmly believe in the law of attraction for all things, not just love.  When it comes to our business or our craft, we can employ these same techniques to obtain the life we want.  Ask, Believe, Receive.  Ask the Universe for what you want.  Believe that it is possible to have what you want.  And then you will receive it. Believing it is possible is the hardest part of this tenet.  But when you believe something is possible, there is no limit to what you can achieve.  I really want to run my jewelry business full-time and receive an income from it that will allow me to quit my day job.  Right now, I’m struggling with believing that it’s possible.  I come from a long line of people who worked long hours to make ends meet working for someone else, so running your own business is a foreign concept.  My challenge now is to employ the same thinking exercises that I did to find love to find success in my business. 

What are the things you want to ask the Universe for that have been difficult for you to believe possible?  What successes have you had that your beliefs helped you to achieve?  How did you get there?

Check out part one & two of this series.....
Creating Success From The Inside Out
Taking 100% Responsibility For Your Life

Life's Teachers

Eleanor Roosevelt said, "Learn from the mistakes of others.  You can't live long enough to make them all yourself."
Reading books, papers, and blogs about business, parenting, cooking, loving, whatever it is that interests us, gives us models for working, relationships, and being in the world.  We read about mistakes people have made and how they resolved them, sometimes recognizing situations that feel familiar.
A friend, Leah, just wrote a blog about Emma Goldman and other books she was reading.  She said that she was especially impressed with the fact that Emma changed her life dramatically, twice, when she realized that she'd made mistakes.  Our lives are not written in stone.  We can adjust them, should adjust them as we go along, gain new information and experience.  My sister in law's boss has said "I reserve the right to get smarter later."  I love that attitude.

Mistakes are great teachers.  We learn what doesn't work.  When we're young we tend to want to do everything our own way; we don't like to follow advice from parents or those in authority.  Sometimes we really screw up.  But eventually we learn that we can benefit from the experience of others, avoiding pitfalls, choosing other paths.

Putting ourselves in community increases the opportunities we have to learn from each other.  The exchange of ideas, of hearing what has turned out well for someone, what has led to disaster or disappointment, gives us some advantage as we struggle to figure out the lives we live.  Our shared stories of joy and failure strengthen us all.