Seeking Inspiration: How To Get Inspired As An Entrepreneur

Inspiration is essential for success as an entrepreneur. Not only will this get you excited about the development of your business, but it will also provide you with the sense of guidance and direction that you need for developing a solid business plan. Following is everything you want to know about how to get inspired during the most formative stages of business development and beyond.

Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants

You probably have a fairly clear vision for your professional endeavor along with a well-defined idea of how you would like things to play out. It’s important, however, to consider the actions taken by people who have thrived in your targeted industry before you. Although you don’t want to model your business plan, services or products exactly after that of your competitors, you do want to observe the strengths and weaknesses of these more experienced organizations as well as their most successful tactics.

This is in a sense, a lot like standing on the shoulders of giants. It allows you to benefit from the knowledge that more seasoned parties have gleaned through their own trials and errors, without having to bump your head against any proverbial walls yourself. You might find that there are absolutely no companies that currently do exactly what you hope to do, but you can still glean valuable insights by studying the activities of companies in other, similar niches.

Mindfulness And Meditation

If you feel as though your inspiration if blocked or has dried up entirely, you may be pushing your mind too hard. Creativity, even as it applies to the commercial arena, is often a very automatic and intuitive process. As such, it’s generally best to focus on clearing your mind, rather than trying to aggressively force yourself into a creative mindset. Try practicing both mindfulness and meditation. In fact, even simply taking a long walk with a clear head can open the door to inspiration and innovation. Many of the world’s top innovators find that their absolute best ideas come when they aren’t thinking about work or business at all. Deep breathing exercises, yoga, journal writing and simply appreciating everything that you have in the present moment are all things that can place you in a clear, calm, creative and truly inspired mindset.

Protecting Your Financial Interests

Fear can stagnant your creative inspiration as an entrepreneur, especially financial fear. A lot of aspiring entrepreneurs are so eager to break out of the rut of the traditional workforce that they rush into leaving their jobs, without having solid plans for how they will cover their living expenses. If you make this mistake, you’ll have a frantic need to make your company profitable right away, which can lead to feelings of frustration, resentment and panic. It is far better to maintain at least part-time income until your business is generating continuous and consistent profits or until you have saved up a full year’s worth of living expenses. Once you’ve alleviated financial stress and have taken the pressure off of your business to succeed right away, you’ll find yourself filled with inspiration and able to plan and create freely.

Why Our Children Need Creative Arts

Young children in primary school are prepared to showcase a unique type of individual expression. One of the best modes to deliver this individual expression is via the creative arts in school.

Even though the benefits of the creative arts are well documented, many institutions are more than happy to cut these types of programs the moment there is an issue with school budgeting. The significant impact that the creative arts have on the cognitive development of children are well known.

More than just cognitive development — it is a multi-sensory mode of education. Creative arts is one of the few disciplines that utilizes almost all of the sense. Children who advance in creative arts will be able to hear music notes, touch instruments, watch how sounds and melodies are being produced, and even smell different paints that are used in art class.

Students are able to create a connection between the senses, underlining the tactile benefits of the creative arts. For young children, this multi-sensory activity is particularly important as it presents a model of learning that is significantly more involved. In laymen’s terms, creative arts has the ability to integrate several senses at the same time.

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Creative arts can also benefit hard skills. A study by the Arts Education Partnership has revealed that children who participate in the creative arts like music, drama, and dance are actually benefiting in a way that makes them more skilled at writing, reading, and mathematics. Analyzed data showed that students who received more arts education did significantly better in tests in other subjects. Creative arts has the ability to foster, confident schoolchildren that are confident in hard skills like reading and mathematics.

Helps improve community cohesion. Students — especially those coming from low-income families — do not have the privilege of the arts at home. The creative arts requires tools and instruments that can be expensive to obtain and maintain. Creative arts at schools help closes the gap that exists within different socioeconomic groups, forming a mode of learning that is more inclusive.

Art can even improve your child’s graduation rate. A study of New York public schools, has found that student groups with the highest graduation rates also tend to have the greatest access to the arts. Many savvy schools have even adopted programs to help mitigate dropouts, with many students citing creative arts as a reason why they enjoy and actively attend school.

Tomorrow’s future entrepreneurs. There is a creative part of entrepreneurship, with its consisting of underlining the importance of intellectual capital — these are people who actively invest in their own talents. Being an entrepreneur is a highly tactile, highly autonomous way of subsistence that requires abstract as well as concrete thought. This is the type of leadership that can be nourished by the creative arts during childhood development.

iPhone Apps that Will Improve Your Health

Ten years go, cell phones were used for making phone calls and sending the occasional text. Today, cell phones are used for much more. If you have an iPhone and you are trying to lose weight and life a more healthy lifestyle, there are several iPhone apps that you should download.

Fitocracy
This is a free app that helps you live in a real life video game. If you play World of Warcraft or other game where your character needs to improve levels, you will love this app. It requires you to complete a variety of tasks so that you can move up levels in your real life. You can also find workout routines on the app and you can get expert advice. If you want to connect with other users, you can communicate with them on this app.

Couch to 5K
The reason that many people don’t go running is because they don’t have the motivation or the proper training to do so. If you have always dreamed of running a 5K but have no experience running, this app can help. Couch to 5K will cost you just $2, and it will have you running one foot a day to a 5K run in just 9 weeks. Not only will the app train you, it will also allow you to track your progress and each run. You will get the help from four motivational running coaches who will feed you audio cues along with your music when you are running. They will also give you a push when you need it the most.

FitStar Personal Trainer
This is a free app, that will save you hundreds of dollars each month on a personal trainer. The app would use the personal information that you provide regarding your body and the goals that you have set for yourself, it will create personalized workouts just for you. If you are heading to the gym, it will generate a routine. If you don’t have the time, the app will generate a short session for you to do at home. You can even watch instructional videos set to your favorite music.

Calorie Counter
If you are having trouble losing weight because you often overeat, this app can help. Most people try to consume around 2,000 calories each day. The problem with that is that everyone is different and everyone has weight loss goals. This app will help you fine tune your calorie count to your specific goals. It also takes into consideration your workouts so that you can stay on track each day. It has a barcode scanner so that it makes it easy to track the foods that you have eaten. Also, the app has over 5 million foods in the database for you to search It also has a recipe importer so that you can create your own foods in the database.

In order to get healthy and lose weight, you no longer need to hire a nutritionist or a personal trainer. There are plenty of iPhone apps available that can help you get healthy on your own without costing you a great deal of money.

Losing Weight the Right Way

Like many entrepreneurs, my weight has fluctuated over the years. I’m probably not alone either. Let’s be honest, Losing weight is one of the most common goals that people have with regards to their health.

Aside from the physical aspect, being overweight can lead to numerous health-related issues like diabetes and heart disease. Another truth that you should come to terms with is that losing weight is not easy. Whoever tells you otherwise is lying and probably just wants your money. Losing weight involves a great deal of hard work and for you to succeed, you should do it right.
If you want to get rid of those extra pounds the right and healthy way, here are some guidelines that you should keep in mind:
• Consult with your doctor – talk with your doctor if you indeed need to lose weight and that it’s the right time for you to do so. This step is also imperative if you have health issues like diabetes, hypertension, and / or undergoing a special diet.
• Set realistic and reasonable goals – the healthy approach to weight loss is to drop 0.5 to 2 pounds per week. This should be a good ballpark to estimate just how you will progress with your weight loss journey. Forget about going into fad diets because while they promise rapid weight loss, they are far from sustainable and you’ll often gain back the weight and more.
• Set a daily calorie target – weight loss basically comes down to burning more calories than you consume. There are many online resources that you can use to find out your daily caloric requirements for losing weight. Alternatively, you can consult with a nutritionist if you have one.
• Refrain from setting a very low caloric target – aside from the fact that it can be unsustainable because you are simply starving yourself, very low calorie consumption can actually lead to weight gain. This is because your body will store the calories as fat as opposed to burning them.
• Build a plan that goes in line with your wants and needs – build a weight loss plan that is tweaked based on your own needs and requirements. Otherwise, you will just fail on adhering to your plan.
• Incorporate a good exercise regimen – find a physical activity that you enjoy and do it regularly. Whether you lift weights or attend Zumba classes, exercise is one the most important elements of healthy weight loss.

Check Out My Recent Interviews

As an entrepreneur, I’ve come to learn that ANY press is good press, despite what some other people might think. Recently, I was interviewed on two publications, Knowmysteez.com & FiveHundo.com, and I’m happy to share some of my favorite quotes from my interviews:

From my Knowmysteez interview,

If you were ever to start again, would you do anything differently?

I don’t know about this one. I am very happy with where I am currently. I am lucky and blessed to have had the success I’ve had thus far.

The only thing I would have done differently is increasing my confidence when I started. I wish I would have known the success that was an arms length away. I was so nervous at first, I though I was going down the wrong path, but that only drove me to want it even more. Hey, I am a big believer in everything happens for a reason.

This is something I remind myself every single day. It’s been a rewarding journey to reach where I am, and I think that accepting your past and using it to propel your future is a good way to look at business, relationships, and life in general.

(Read my full interview on Knowmysteez here)

From my Fivehundo.com interview,

What is the best advice you ever received?

Treat others better than you want to be treated. This saying really hits home. I learned this pretty early on. I try to make this a priority especially when it comes to strangers. If I am dealing with someone I’ve never met, I have no reason to treat them any differently than people I do know. It has definitely helped me with my business life and personal ventures. I am not one to judge, and treat each new person with the respect that they deserve. I definitely owe a lot of my success to this philosophy.

This was my favorite question because it not only relates to business, but life in general. Too many people are so self-consumed and forget that the people they interact with deserve respect just like they desire themselves. I always try to have common courtesy and having basic manners goes a long way with me.

(Read my full FiveHundo interview here)

Those were my two favorite excerpts from my recent interviews, although I enjoyed all of the questions. I’ve been contacted by other media outlets as well, so hopefully there will be more interviews to share soon. Stay tuned for more!

– Irina

 

Meditation Basics

Meditation is a relaxation technique, which involves concentrating on one reference point or object. The aim is to calm the brain, so you can immerse yourself in your true essence — your real self that is at one with the universe. Throughout the world, people meditate for a range of reasons. Some people do it to feel less stressed, whereas others do it for religious reasons.

There are several different meditation methods, and choosing the one that works best for you offers numerous advantages. People who meditate frequently are usually more centered, and typically have superior concentration abilities to those who don’t. This technique can be incorporated into spiritual practices, such as Christianity and Wicca.

At its heart though, meditation is all about sitting and being. You are transcending the confines of the ‘socially conditioned’ brain to achieve a state of oneness. Although you can concentrate on your breathing (or on an object) to advance towards this state, essentially it happens naturally and gradually through time. Your goal should be to connect with your soul. You are peering inwards, without trying to do more than sitting and being.

Also, it is a good idea to use meditation to deal with obstacles you encounter in your life. For example, if you need to make a choice about a certain area of your life – like a change of job — doing some meditation will help you to think clearly. Often, the answer you need will pop into your head instantaneously. Developing the ability to focus and direct your mental energy towards a specific issue can generate fantastic results.

The location you use to meditate should be calm and peaceful. This can be outside or inside, as long as you don’t get interrupted. Silent meditation is favored by many practitioners, however others prefer to play soft music. You can meditate on the floor, or while seated in a chair. You should keep your back straight in both scenarios though. Some people like to keep their legs folded, but no specific pose is necessary. Use a pillow or two to support you, if this makes you feel more comfortable.

My Passions

I’m really passionate about helping men and women around the world become healthier in order for them to live the best lives that they can.

I also love being an entrepreneur. I own a conglomerate of fitness and fashion websites which allow me to earn income wherever I am. It’s one of the best parts about being an entrepreneur! I have the freedom to travel wherever I want while doing what I love.

Being an Entrepreneur

It’s not always easy to be an entrepreneur. It’s a tough road sometimes. One of the things that I tell people regularly is that it’s vital to keep yourself motivated on a daily basis. How do I do this? I read, I listen to positive, inspirational people, and I focus on WHY I choose to live life the way I do.

When you are focused on WHY you are in business, it helps propel your life further. Never become complacent. It’s one of the biggest challenges that I face as an entrepreneur. It’s easy to let off the pressure when you’ve had a couple of successful months. Those are the times when you should push harder, that way you can see what you’re capable of!

Recommended Reading

One of my favorite books is The Four Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. This is one of the books that really explains why it is that owning an online business is one of the best things that you can do in the 21st century. The goal of any business should be for everything to continue to run even if you’re not in the picture. This book reinforces a lot of what I learned in the early days of being in business.

Just imagine… What would your life look like if you could own a business that ran itself while you travelled the world. Wouldn’t that be incredible? It’s entirely possible thanks to modern technology.

I look forward to writing some more about this topic in the near future!
– Irina Dorko

Welcome to My Blog!

Thanks for visiting my blog. I’ll be posting information here regarding how to live a healthy, prosperous life, including my thoughts on other topics I’m passionate about.

I love helping people live the best life they are capable of, so I look forward to your questions and helping get you on the right track.

Live with passion –
Irina