5 Ways Dreamers Can Become Doers

Maybe you’ve been called a dreamer your whole life—by
others and by yourself. However, saying you are a
dreamer or a doer is like saying you are good or bad.
Nobody is 100 percent one way or the other, but they
may lean more in one direction. It’s a spectrum, and the
good news is that you can shift the paradigm so you’re
a little more balanced.
Remember that being a doer isn’t necessarily better than
being a dreamer. You need both to succeed.
If you’re really off kilter and have a lot more dreamer
tendencies, it’s time to take action. Here are some of the
easiest, quickest ways to embrace your inner doer so
your dreamer can take a little break. Remember, without
a comprehensive, balanced approach you’ll just keep
going in circles:
1. Write down goals and give them a
deadline.
So, you say you want to write a novel and have it ready
to submit to literary agent or publishing house. That’s
awesome - but how far along are you? What do you
define as “submission ready”? How long can you write
per day, and is it scheduled into your routine just like
work or going to the gym?
Depending on where you are with your draft, choose a
deadline for being submission ready (less than two
years out), or schedule mini-deadlines, such as two
chapters written by month's end. This approach works
for any goal, not just a novel manuscript.
Related: 5 Tips to Never Miss a Deadline
2. Balance wants and needs.
Every time you decide you want to do something, follow
that up with a list of steps you need to take to make it
happen. This might mean saving a certain amount of
money for a special event like your wedding. If you want
to save $10,000 in one year, look at your budget and
figure out what you need to cut to make that happen.
You might also need to pick up more hours at work, a
second job or practice more frugal living.
When I decided for the first time to stop living paycheck
to paycheck I sold the new BMW I was driving
and bought an old Ford Focus. That was one of the best
decisions I've ever made. It allowed me to save an
extra $800 per month. After a year I had almost
$10,000 in the bank, which allowed me to start my
business, Pixloo , that eventually was acquired.
3. Surround yourself with doers.
Birds of a feather certainly flock together, but you
probably have more doer acquaintances and friends
than you realize. Who are your five best friends?
Dreamers feed off of each other, but if you’re around
doers they will inspire you. The staunchest ones aren’t
quick to indulge your dreamer tendencies and will want
to know what your plan is. Remember: you are in charge
of your support network.
I surround myself with some of the best and brightest
people in the world. Some of my friends: Kristy
Rampton, Mitchell Stoker , Murray Newlands , Derek
Andersen , Drew Hendricks , John Boitnott and Lane
Livingston .
Related: What It Takes to Go From Dead Broke to 6
Figures in 6 Months
4. Stop doing what doesn’t work.
You know Einstein’s definition of insanity, so why do you
get stuck in that rut? If you’ve been dreaming about
something but your attempts haven’t led to positive
results, it is time to stop, reassess, figure out what’s
wrong and try a fresh approach. You’ll never get
anywhere making the same mistakes over and over
again.
5. Assume everything will take longer and
cost more.
One of the downsides of being a dreamer is that it is
easy to think of everything as, well, easy during the
dreaming stage. However, things have a tendency to
take more money and time than you imagine. When
writing down your action plan, increase time and money
by ten percent and give yourself a buffer. The worst
case scenario is you’ll succeed with time and money left
over.
Don’t let your drive to be a doer brush your dreaming
tendencies totally under the rug. It’s your source of
inspiration, creativity. and means of reaching for the
stars.