THE 5 HIDDEN THINGS THAT
SEPARATE DREAMERS FROM DOERS
5 Hidden Things that Separate Dreamers from Doers
Article by Nikka Karli Salifu
Photo Credit: Hailley Howard
Magazine: Issue #29
Have you ever defined yourself as a dreamer? Maybe you love using the hashtag #dreamchaser in conjunction with things like #bosslady and #goaldigger? Perhaps you’ve secretly started to wonder why you can’t seem to create the success in your business and life that you oh-so-desperately desire.
I get it. Really, I do. Up until recently, I was living in the same dreamland. I was living the life of a Dreamer rather than a Doer. And you might be, too.
Want to know if you need to overhaul your mindset (and your hashtag game)? Read on for 5 shifts that just might change your life…
1 :: Dreamers spend their time dreaming. Doers spend their time doing.
Dreaming is awesome, but if you ever want to turn your dreams into reality you’re going to need to start taking action. Keeping your head in the clouds means your dreams have no roots, no foundation… Which means no progress.
Action begets more action. And action is what it takes to go from leaving a legacy of “she was such a dreamer” to “she helped change the world”. Which legacy do you want to be known for? And what are you willing to do about it? (Like, right now.)
2 :: Dreamers are always “waiting”. Doers are always moving.
If you spend your life in a holding pattern, you will never get anywhere. Your dreams will turn to dust and wither away within your soul as unrealized flights of fancy.
There is no “great moment” that needs to happen before you can act. Neither is there some magical being of light coming to tell you to that now is the time to move forward.
Hire coaches, work with healers, do your spiritual work. But, don’t wait for someone else to make your dreams happen. They are YOUR DREAMS and you alone can create the momentum necessary to bring them to fruition.
3 :: Dreamers take 1 step forward and 3 steps backward. Doers consistently move forward.
Dreamers like to dip their toes in the water. They like to see if something might work out. They like to “try”.
Doers get things done. Doers make a decision and commit to its outcome (whether or not it is the outcome they expected). The difference here is consistency. When you “try” something out and then stop (guilty, party of 1 over here!), you are actually taking your progress and tearing it to shreds. Any traction you’ve gained? You lose it (and then some) when you give up and start backpedaling into your doubts and fear of success.
Doers go all in. What about you? Ask yourself when you last decided on a course of action in your life and business and saw it all the way through. Go ahead. We’ll wait… NOT!!!! Because Doers don’t waste their time waiting! (You might need to go back and re-read #2 again if you really thought we were going to wait. Just sayin’…)
4 :: Dreamers think they need perfection. Doers live in the space of imperfect action.
Oh, the sticky mire of perfectionism. Ever been there? This is one of the most crippling beliefs for anyone who has big dreams. The need to have everything be perfect before taking action is just another tricky form of Resistance (need a review on Resistance? Head over here and soak up some wicked knowledge).
If you always need things to be perfect before you act, you will be waiting forever.
Can your dreams wait forever? Didn’t think so.
5 :: Dreamers allow themselves to be sidelined by failure. Doers understand that failure is a necessary for success.
Ah… Failure. It has taken out many a would-be visionary and relegated them to annals of mediocrity time and time again.
If you want to be different- if you ever want to become extraordinary- you must accept failure. Embrace failure. Seek out failure. Because failure means you are taking action. It means you are being consistent and going all in on your dreams. It means that you are truly alive.
You must not stay hidden in the shadows of life for fear of what will happen when you step into the light. For fear of someone seeing you for who you truly are.
Remember, failure does not mean you have failed forever. Unless you succumb to that instance of failure. Unless you refuse to get back up again.
The finest visionaries, minds, and artists have seen more failure than most people could ever imagine. And, they asked for it. They craved it. Because they knew it meant that they were putting themselves out there, in all their glory and imperfection. They knew that massive amounts of failure are required to reach greatness. And they wanted to be great more than they feared temporary failures.
So, you must ask yourself which you fear most. Failure? Or dying with your dreams unrealized inside of you? If you answered the latter, it is time for you to become something you may have never been before. Something scary. Vulnerable. Awe-inspiring.
It is time, Love, for you to become a Doer.
