My Goals for This Year: Growing Innerpreneurship in 2009

by Tara Joyce | Jan 2, 2009 | My Journey | What's On My Mind

Creative Commons License photo credit: Joe Dielis

I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions. I could never understand why the change in the date was a catalyst to make changes in my life. I always followed the plan that I would institute changes as soon as I was aware that they needed or wanted to be made.

But as another year ends and I enter my 28th year of life, I am understanding more the value of reflection and goal setting, both personally and professionally.

Reflection helps me to appreciate the journey and how it has lead me to where I am today, while goal setting helps me to outline my desires for the future and strategize how to achieve them.

I’ve realized that the advent of a new year is a great time to begin creating holistic solutions to the issues uncovered during the previous year.

Where I Want to Be in 2009

1. Meditating Regularly
   2008 was filled with multiple attempts to begin meditating regularly. Unfortunately, I found it nearly impossible to establish a routine that I could stick with. My goal for 2008 was to meditate daily but for 2009, I will be happy simply to have it be a growing activity in my life.

   Any tips you may have on how you motivated yourself to meditate are very much appreciated.

2. Generating a Sustainable Income from My Business, Elastic Mind
   My business earnings in 2008 (from May onwards, when I started Elastic Mind) were minimal as I was focusing the bulk of my time on planting my business seeds. In 2009 I aim to generate enough income to 1. sustain the costs of running the business and 2. contribute to our living expenses.

   Any tips you may have on how you cultivate clients are very much appreciated.

3. Completing my Business Website
   I am very proud of the site I am creating but now that the hard part is over (it has been designed and written), I am working on developing the site. This means coding, populating, editing and search engine optimizing the over 100+ pages I have conceptualized and written. It is a slow process and I daily feel the grind of the “creative hump”. Some days I worry that the site will “never” be finished.

   Any tips you may have on how you stay focused and motivated on your creative projects are very much appreciated.

4. Enjoying More Hobbies
   I have plans to continue my tap dancing classes, to start take a drawing class and to read the 10 books sitting by my bed. Daniel and I are traveling to Nicaragua in February. I also plan to attend regular yoga/pilates classes and continue to walk as much as I have in 2008.

   Any tips you may have on how you make time for your hobbies are very much appreciated.

5. Developing More Daily Structure
   It is an adjustment to move from a “9-to-5” life to that of an independent. I am still working on developing a structure to my day that ensures I yield maximum productivity while maintaining balance, calm and focus. I want to do away with the days where I never see daylight as I am too focused to take a break.

   Any tips you may have on how you create structure in your day are very much appreciated.
   

6. Taming My Inner Critic and Growing My Inner Kudos
   Although I have achieved all the goals I set for myself 2008, it is not enough. I am never satisfied with my achievements. In fact, I am almost embarrassed and ashamed by them. I am hesitant to share with them with even those that are closest to me. I don’t know why and in 2009 I am going to work on ending the secrecy and cultivating a more self-promoting attitude.

   Any tips you may have on how you became less secretive about your work are very much appreciated.
   

7. Improving and Growing Rise of the Innerpreneur
   I have many ideas for how I can continue to improve and better serve innerpreneurs through my blog, Rise of the Innerpreneur. In the coming weeks I will be asking you how this blog can be of more value to you. I want it to be the best it can be and to be constantly evolving with our changing needs.

   If you have any tips on how I can improve the blog I would love to hear them.
   Otherwise, in the coming weeks I will be asking your opinion on ideas I have had. I would appreciate it greatly if you provided feedback on them. I truly want this blog to be the most valuable tool it can be.

Now that I know where I want to be in 2009, I can begin the process of determining how I will get there.

My Year in Review: Planting the Innerpreneurial Seeds in 2008

by Tara Joyce | Jan 1, 2009 | My Journey | What's On My Mind

As 2009 commences I thought it would be a great idea to take stock of all that I have achieved in 2008.

One of the things I plan to work on in 2009 is giving more credit to myself and my accomplishments. This list is my a first step in growing my inner-kudos.

For me, this was a year of beginnings and I spend most of 2008 planting and cultivating my innerpreneurial seeds.

Winter & Spring: Planting My Seeds

• January 2008: Move into my first apartment with Daniel
  • in the Junction, Toronto
  • a beautiful place built in the 1930’s

• February 2, 2008: Marry my inspiration, Daniel Bida
  • it was Groundhog Day. It’s kind of a funny holiday. It really has no importance. What exactly is the accuracy rate of Punxsutawney Phil or Wiarton Willie?
  • and Groundhog Day was playing (as usual). That movie is crazy. I hated it the first time I saw it. But once I saw it again, I appreciated it’s brilliance.
  • it was sunset, the day after a winter storm
  • we were married in the tower of an inn overlooking the snow covered tip of Lake Simcoe
  • a small wedding, 24 guests; with talented help, I made my dress and flowers

• April 2008: A career miss-step inspires me to have a major personal development
  • realize I have always wanted to write but was never willing to admit it to myself as it wasn’t a “practical” profession
  • decide to start my own business focusing on my love of the web, holistic marketing and words
  • Elastic Mind, my innerpreneurial business is born

• May 2008: Learn about innerpreneurship and decide that I will write a blog about the topic
  • realize this group is who I want to work with
  • determine that this topic will be a great way for me to express myself and my interests and connect with the exact group that I want to do business with

Summer & Fall: Helping My Seeds to Bloom

• June 6, 2008: Rise of the Innerpreneur is born with the article Are You An Innerpreneur?
  • the first piece of web content I have ever published under my name
  • at this time there is no web content (besides reviews of the book Geek Gods, Karma Queens and Innerpreneurs) on innerpreneurship

• June & July 2008: Develop the concept for and write my deeply informative and ambitious business website(still in development)

• July 2008: Volunteer as a Web Strategist for the micro-finance not-for-profit Opportunity Canada

• August 2008: Begin promoting innerpreneurship, myself and my business using various social media platforms

• September 15, 2008: Publish Are You An Innerpreneur? on the business networking site BizNik
  • discover my target market and fellow tribesmen
  • my article garners over 900 views and 29 comments
  • find that I have stirred up excitement in my readers and am overjoyed
  • receive emails of appreciation. I am fulfilled.

• September 25, 2008: Publish my account of our larger subculture and our importance in Innerpreneurship and the Bigger Movement Afoot on BizNik
  • more excitement and more readers
  • over 1300 views and 50 comments

• October 2008: Meet my mentor, Dr. Micheal Yanakiev. Begin my education on Systems Thinking

• October 2008: Receive my first new client inquiries for Elastic Mind services, all generated from this blog

• November 2008: My first podcast interview on innerpreneurship and Cultural Creativity

• December 30, 2008: A BizNik live event, Distinguishing Ourselves as Creative Entrepreneurs: Creative Change Through a Common Voice, is held in Seattle (I participate via phone), inspired by my articles

What satisfaction I get from seeing all my accomplishments set in front of me! It makes me proud to know my ideas, words and marketing talent have helped me to achieve my 2008 goals. I think I just might be in the right profession!

Tomorrow I will discuss my goals for 2009. I have great hope that the seeds I planted in 2008 will continue to thrive and grow in the coming year.