Don’t Just Dream, Get Things Done!

Are you a dreamer? Would you describe yourself as being a visionary? If so, what are you doing with the dreams and visions you have?

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.With the approaching New Year, comes a timely opportunity to consider what you’re going to do with your ideas, your hopes, your visions, and your dreams.

I recently read an article by Steve Tobak that challenged me to the core! In it he spoke with clarity about the difference between those who dream about success and those who experience success.

The difference being that one group dreams about things, while the other gets things done.

We live in a remarkable time where information is more accessible, opinions more widely broadcast, and where ideas are spread in the click of a tweet. But with this shift comes a number of risks.

There’s the risk of no longer thinking deeply. The risk of information overload. The risk of lacking focus. The risk of simply dreaming and not doing.

As I read Tobak’s post I was forced to question the personal contribution I make and was challenged to consider whether I’ve leaned more towards the consumer rather than producer end of the spectrum in the use of my time.

To be totally honest, I came unstuck.

You see, I can often get lost in thought and be guilty of thinking more than doing. For as an introvert I’m comfortable in my own company and can easily spend time consuming content from some of my favourite authors, bloggers, and podcasts.

Saturation of success stories and the insights of those who’ve achieved the goal of leaving a dent in the world can preoccupy me. Yet there’s a risk that while I’m being inspired, I’m not taking the steps to make my own dent in the world.

I wonder, can you relate?

The challenge for us all

We need to find the balance, right? To be inspired and informed on the one hand, and then to use what we’ve received to give back.

For we know that historic figures like Martin Luther King Jr. didn’t just have dreams, they took action and got things done. They went beyond having a dream to making a lasting difference.

And though dreaming has its place, as following our dreams is the starting point of new ideas, we need to move beyond that, don’t we?

Because it’s not our dreams that makes a difference. It’s not our dreams that give life. It’s not our dreams that impact others, or bring hope and lead to change. It’s what we create, what we give, and what we do.

For in the end, it’ll be our actions, not our dreams, that’ll be remembered.

Question: Where do you need to stop dreaming and start doing?

Connect with me on Twitter.

Further reading:

• Stop Dreaming and Start Doing by Steve Tobak
• I Have a Dream Speech by Martin Luther King. Jr.