Wow! Two years already since PlanBig, an online community where people’s dreams chart the road to reality, went live.
I’ve seen so many plans, projects and ideas that have been supported by the community.
There’s ideas for business shirts and perfume gels and new ways for freelancers to work together; people who are trading an egg up to a million bucks for charity; mental health campaigns that reach a national audience; bikes ridden to raise awareness and playgrounds built to give kids something fun to do; laptops donated to people who need a second chance; and kids in India given an education.
Whatever way you look at it, the stories and initiatives you find on PlanBig are astounding.
But PlanBig is much more than a set of dreams. Here’s some of the things I’ve loved doing with PlanBig over the past two years.
Volunteering at great events for PlanBiggers like Bendigo Blues + Roots Festival and the Hulbert St Sustainability Fiesta in Perth.
Hours spent thinking about PlanBig and talking with the Advisory Board and brainstorming with other members of PlanBig on how to make it better for the community.
Painting my dream of watching the moon set over a safari park in South Africa to aid mental health awareness.
Watching Lion Dancing in Cabramatta for the unveiling of a new art mural.
Learning the art of inflating helium balloons to the delight of hundreds of happy kids.
Becoming networked with a great group of social entrepreneurs across Australia.
Getting to know a supportive network of people who believe in having a crack at your dream.
Given me new best friends who I admire and hope to know for the rest of my life.
Bringing people together for PlanBig Meetups across Sydney to help other PlanBiggers and talk about what we’re doing.
Finding designers, website operators, marketers, PR people that I can share ideas with as well as support and receive support from.
The thrill of PlanBiggers helping choose a book cover, read initial chapters and become ‘Defenders’ in the process to launching my husband’s first action thriller (which has been picked up by Momentum Books, a subsidiary of Pan Macmillan, just six months post-launch).
Marking two plans as successes on PlanBig!
Providing advice and ideas to other Planners on their journey, whether a message of support or feedback or specific suggestions, buying and reviewing their product or donating to their cause or attending their event – all which gave much more back to me than I gave to them!
What do I take away from PlanBig?
That it’s important to put your dreams out to the universe, work at it, and see what happens. And that so much of what I do is not about me, but about supporting others, and what happens in between.
PlanBiggers support the Adelaide Fringe Festival, 2011
Lion Dancers at the Cabramatta Art Mural Unveiling, 2011
Rebecca at the Community Bucket List PlanBig Meetup, 2011
(L-R), Sarah with Peita Gardiner, Kim Petersen, Michelle Scully, Terri Figueroa + Jeanette Miller in Brisbane
