The New Year is a time to explore opportunity. I like to think of the year ahead as moldable clay. How will you shape it? What will you create? Here are some tips to help you birth your big ideas and tap into your unlimited potential.

Get Out of Your Office

When it’s time to design a new project or outline a new plan, I escape the confines of my small home office. It’s in that office that I think and do the same things every day, and to allow big ideas I have to move into a larger space. I pull out drawing pads, notebooks, calendars, and an iPad and spread out all over the living room floor. If I’m chasing a problem in my mind, I go for a hike and climb to the highest peak, or I drive to water. Take a walk by yourself, leave your earphones at home, and empty your mind so that the answers you seek have a receptive, open space to appear.

Join a Professional Network

I am very careful with my business funds, and I don’t invest in anything that I am not sure will offer me a return. When I first heard about a new, online professional network, Fizzle.co (http://fizzle.co), I was skeptical. However, it was built by a blogging team that I trust and respect so I decided to give it a try.

As with any business purchase, I read over the trial offer and return policy, and then I MARKED THE CANCEL DATE on my calendar. This reminds me to reevaluate the subscription and whether it has been worth the monthly fee. Within a few days of joining Fizzle, I landed the biggest deal of my career (so far 🙂 ) thanks to some video training and a few fabulous mentors. I am so happy with the results I’ve seen and the way this community supports each other that, well,  I’m a Fizzler for Life!

In Success Principles, Jack Canfield talks about surrounding yourself with successful people by hanging out where they hang out. He quoted Dr. John Demartini in saying, “You can’t put your hand in a pot of glue without some of that glue sticking.” So, too, you can’t surround yourself with more successful people without some of their success shaping your plan for the better.

Hire a Coach

This is advice that I’ve been hearing for years, and though I’ve always been open to hiring a coach, I hadn’t found somebody to fit the bill …. until I met Tiffany Han (http://www.tiffanymoore.net). Hiring the right professional will do wonders for your business. That’s been true for me; I’ve hired graphic designers, a videographer, and now a personal coach. I’m not sure if Tiffany fits into a single category, whether we’re mostly talking about business or life, and it doesn’t matter. My business is Life! and she’s helping it grow.

Think from the End

One of the biggest advantages of having your own creative business is having no boss. It’s also one of the biggest challenges! You are the one who has to arrange your ideas into a marketable product, create that product, and then market it accordingly.

You also wake up to new emails everyday, full of requests and conversations that you’re happy to pursue. And if you’re like me, you work from home. Without even realizing it, you’re throwing in a load of laundry and taking care of other household tasks when you should be packing the day’s orders.

Being your own boss means you’ll have to set your own schedule and meet a daily quota of production. The best way to do this is to set a large goal (write a book, make and list 100 new items, create a new line of products), estimate how long the project will take, and then set a deadline.

To create a productivity schedule, simply start at the deadline and work your way backwards. What needs to happen each week, from the future deadline to the present day, to be sure that this project is completed on time? Mark completion dates for each task on your calendar, and then get to work!

Put Yourself Out There

Yeah, just do that. 🙂 Stop holding back, and start taking steps toward your goals. I dream of a world that’s fueled by creativity, where people live on a strict diet of passion and purpose. Don’t dim your light for anyone or any reason; appreciate the unique gifts bestowed upon you.  Be the lighthouse, and don’t hesitate to shine bright. Do solid work, every day, to build a solid foundation for the future. Make 2013 your year!

{Featured image Girl in Gear Studio}