This year I took a big step towards chasing my dream career in 'Advocacy through Adventure" and I think overall I could call the year a success.
In the last 12 months I have... - Completed a 3,800km SUP trip down the Murray Darling basin (even though there was no water for the first 900km). - Set a world first for SUP, just 3 months after stepping on one for the very first time (first ever to have SUP'd the length of the Darling River, Aus). - Promoted a cause that saw $82,000 and 1 fish donated for charity, with the funds going to a cause close to my heart; Deaf Children Australia (the fish went to my stomach). - Gave my first presentation as a key note speaker, and then gave another 20 or so more (some were good too!). - Completed the first draft of a book that will hopefully be released soon (please get in touch if you know a publisher) - Released a website and got my first few followers on the new social media pages I've created for the long term - Realised that "Anyone can do anything, if they are given the opportunity" and hopefully inspired a few people to go out and persue their own goals. 2017 has been a year where I have completely exceeded my own expectations. I don't mean that in an arrogant way. Rather, at the start of the year I dreamed big and I said I was going to do some things that I wasn't entirely sure I could actually do. At times I got nervous and wanted to bail on the ideas but having shared those plans to some close friends and family at the start of the year, I felt a tiny bit of external pressure that helped me strive to complete those goals. In the end it worked for me, and Iike I said at the start, I think I'm going to call the year a success. It would be very easy to spend 2018 looking back at 2017 thinking, "Yep I did alright last year, time for a break" but instead of resting on my laurels I'm planning 2018 to be another step towards that dream career, and to help me achieve them I want to share a few more plans to help me achieve them. In 2018 on @whattomhasdunn you'll hopefully see... - A trip to Mt Everest Base Camp, to raise awareness and funds to help abolish modern slavery (with @30milliontonone). - A new speaking tour that will be tailored for schools and businesses alike (get in contact if you'd like to book a presentation whattomhasdunn.com/contact ) - 24 interviews (minimum) with Young Australian Adventurers and Advocates (there's plenty of young Aussies out there outdoing me at every step and I look forward to sharing their stories). - A new platform to raise funds for your own adventures and causes. (expect details on this midway through the year) And finally.. - A SECOND trip for 2018. My biggest and most demanding so far. If I survive Everest I hope to share this top secret trip with you in July. So there it is; a plan. Right now it's nothing more than a few words on a screen that could amount to just another failed new years resolution. Hopefully however, with a bit of sweat and a bit of luck, 2018 will be an even more successful year than this one!