Premise

New Year’s Day is one of my favorite days of the year because it is a chance at new beginnings. It provides the possibility to wipe clean the slate, and refresh the stale frame of mind. I focus my excitement by spending some time contemplating new goals, and begin to draw a map of how I might accomplish them. I have already created the framework for what I want to accomplish in 2008, and I’m on pins and needles to move ahead. There are new opportunities to take, new ideas to visualize, new challenges to complete, new people to meet and new successes to enjoy.

2007

This past year has been a key year for me in terms of getting motivated. As 2007 set into motion I began to transition out of my staff position at Quad Recording Studios, and take a step towards my aspirations of becoming a freelance producer/engineer/songwriter. Now as 2007 segues into 2008, I look back to see that not only have I put a big step forward in attaining that desire, I have also managed to jumpstart my dream of building a media company—something I thought was a long way off. I drew a lot of my inspiration from some books, articles, websites and blogs I came across throughout the year. I will post links to them here; I strongly recommend you read them. Hopefully they will inspire you as much as they did me.

[These lists are in no particular order]

Books:

An Army of Davids: How Markets and Technology Empower Ordinary People to Beat Big Media, Big Government, and Other Goliaths by Glenn Reynolds
48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller
What Should I Do With My Life by Po Bronson
The One Minute Millionaire by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen
Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook by Bob Baker
The Ultimate Survival Guide to the New Music Industry: Handbook for Hell by Justin Goldberg
Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth Godin

Blogs:

www.instapundit.com
blog.creativethink.com
lefsetzletter.com/wordpress
sethgodin.typepad.com
www.musicmarketing.com
genxfinance.com
www.getrichslowly.org/blog
www.frugallawstudent.com
ryanhealy.typepad.com
freelancefolder.com
www.dailyblogtips.com
www.problogger.net
www.doshdosh.com
www.firepitfriday.com/Firepit_Friday/Blog/Blog.html
www.thelongtail.com
styleboost.com
blog.musicbusinessradio.com

Websites:

www.wired.com
www.thebuzzfactor.com
www.pitchforkmedia.com
wordpress.org
www.entrepreneur.com
www.pobronson.com

Articles:

http://www.news.com/Revelations-from-Pandoras-music-box/2008-1027_3-6208664.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-5&subj=news
http://www.womenentrepreneur.com/article/1826.html
http://www.entrepreneur.com/startingabusiness/businessideas/article183310.html
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/118/girl-power.html
http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2006/01/million_dollar_.html
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.12/youtube.html
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.12/lonelygirl.html
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.09/pitchfork.html
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.09/musicintro.html
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.07/murdoch.html
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.04/wired40.html
http://www.wired.com/science/space/magazine/15-06/ff_space_musk

And obviously as a record producer and music maker, I have to list the music that inspired me this year. Posted below are some records/songs that left a mark on me. Some are brand new for 2007 some are from previous years [again, listed in no particular order].

The Greatest-Cat Power
El Perro Del Mar-El Perro Del Mar
Ys-Joanna Newsome
Neon Bible-Arcade Fire
We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank-Modest Mouse
Broken Boy Soldiers-The Raconteurs
Robbers and Cowards-The Cold War Kids
Lullabies to Paralyze and Songs for the Deaf-Queens of the Stone Age
Because of the Times-Kings of Leon
Our Love To Admire-Interpol
Icky Thump-The White Stripes
No One’s Gonna Love You-Band of Horses
1234-Feist
Love Song-Sara Bareilles
Split Needles-The Shins

2008

2007 sparked a motivation in me that I have never experienced before. This motivation seems to have bled into a peculiar interest in stirring motivation in those around me. I hope you share some of the same enthusiasms I do about New Year’s Day. If not, why not start now by making 2008 your Year of Inspiration? Make this the year that sets a fire in your life to dream new ideas, set creative goals and explore uncharted visions. Pick a book from my list above to use as your spark. Perhaps you have already read one or two on this list. In any case, I would love your comments. I would like to read your stories of motivation, opinions on starting a new year, or maybe you could suggest a book or two to me. Let’s inspire one another to dream new ideas, set creative goals and pursue divergent challenges this year.

Here’s to another year

2007 was an awesome year; 2008 is going to be remarkable!