Setting Out Time to Think Big, and Bigger

There is a honeymoon phase of launching a new venture or idea. It is the sweet spot where everything is possible and even the sky seems limiting. Your idea will not only revolutionalize the way something is done, but it will change an industry.After the HoneymoonAnd then the dreamy-eyed phase comes to a gentle (or sometimes abrupt) close. And you are left with the work. The daily, often unglamorous, work of building the idea and making it go. This might involve heavy administrative duties, writing, compiling, cold-calling, researching, and trying to build a book of business.

During this post-honeymoon your daily focus may be the tangible, granular tasks it takes to keep things going. And the larger-than-life thoughts are relegated to the backburner.

A Need to Think Big, and Bigger

I recently experienced this with Innov8Social. The site has been seeing some great traction and engagement and I have noticed my focus shift from imagining what it can become to thinking about day-to-day tasks of creating content, publishing, and expanding its reach.

And then it occurred to me. There are already millions of blogs floating around in cyberspace. It was always my hope to create something that connects social innovation content and community in innovative ways, rather than simply producing content that is already available. So I decided to make this past week my ‘think big’ week. I attended lectures and mixers, and met with social innovators and big-thinkers to learn about what they are up to.

When You Can’t Think Bigger, Ask a Friend

Connecting with others helped me brainstorm, to identify pain points in the industry, and to hear from others what resource/space/value Innov8Social could add to expanding and connecting the social innovation community.

It was tough at times, and exhilarating at others. Innovation–thinking of things in new & different ways–still remains one of my biggest thrills.

What Next

There are a few great ideas I am thinking about. They will require some tech assistance beyond my scope and training, a designer’s finesse, and some planning and integration. But now there is a path, and the encouragement of ideas has been a source of inspiration as I touch base with friends and colleagues to see if they are interested in joining on an Innov8Social adventure.

Your Turn

I used a themed week to remind myself to think beyond my day-to-day tasks and to actively seek (and be open to) meeting unique leaders, thinkers, and social innovators with different perspectives and unique insights. So, now I pass the baton to you…how will you work to think beyond the daily grind of your social innovation—and continue to imagine a world with limitless social innovation possibilities.