THERE are two types of people in this world…
the doers and the don’ters. Which one are you?
The doer is the person that acts rather than merely talks or thinks.
The don’ter moans about what they want but never actually does anything to achieve it.
Life coach Victoria Mills, founder of Supercoach International, said most people she sees are doers but don’t necessarily know how to create success. The rest are don’ters that want to be doers.
Doers accept they can create the life they want and then come up with a plan to make it happen – irrelevant of their traits at birth and the environment they were raised in.
“There is always going to be a list of why someone thinks they cannot achieve something. But if you are committed to growing and developing yourself and being the best you possibly can be you will find a way forward,” she said.
The first part of getting out of a routine is to have a vision. A doer never accepts the status quo.
“In a car we have a rear vision mirror for a reason and we have a windscreen. The reason we have such a small rear view mirror is because the past is in the past and we only need to reflect on it on occasion. We use the windscreen because that is determining your life. Most people spend their time looking at the rear view mirror and that’s why they get stuck.”
The doers have a plan.
Next, and most crucial, doers have a plan. This sets the foundation to achieving their dreams.
“The importance of having a plan is this. Imagine if you were going on a cruise and there were two ocean liners in front of you and on the outside they looked exactly the same. On the inside one has all the satellite gear, all the GPS systems, it has a copy of the itinerary: what ports you are stopping at, what islands you are going to, when the shopping trips and exhibitions are – you have a detailed plan of what will be occurring in the next 10 days on your cruise. The next ocean liner has no satellite equipment, no GPS, no plan, no itinerary. Which one are you going to get on to get the most of your trip?
“That ocean liner is your life. You have to have a blueprint otherwise you end up being on that second ocean liner and you are at the mercy of the winds and the tides and the current and it’s going to dictate where you’re going to go as opposed to you harnessing your own life and being the captain of your own ship.”
It’s great to have a vision and a plan but doers are also realistic. They set a time frame or risk a life of lost dreams.
“Realistically, don’t make any goals or any plans beyond two years. It’s unrealistic. It’s great to have immediate short-term goals of three months, six months and 12 months and then a two-year plan. Yes, you can have a vision but usually what you put in the first year, they are the building blocks to then see the vision come into reality, you can’t just focus on the vision.
“The most important thing once you have the foundation in place is you are going to be able to build the building blocks to get on the other side. It’s good to have a vision, I love vision but be realistic.”
Traits of a Doer
1. Hardworking: They’re committed and take full responsibility for their own development and their own consequences as a result of pulling up their sleeves and doing all the hard work. They never take no for an answer.
2. Curious: They have a level of curiosity to always be good and improve as people whether they are in the professional workforce, run their own business or want balance at home.
3. Self-reliant: They have a lot of initiative. They ask themselves, ‘If I want to create x y, z, how can I actually do this better?’
4. Relaxed: They are usually not highly-strung but actually quite relaxed in who they are as people and usually are very grounded.
5. Plan: If you are committed to growing and developing yourself and being the best you possibly can be you will find a way forward. People that don’t have a plan become a don’ter.
6. Responsible: Instead of what can’t I do, doers ask themselves what can I do and what steps do I need to bring it into fruition. They have a plan.
Traits of a Don’ter
1. Low self-worth: Lack confidence usually driven by fear because they don’t have a plan.
2. Irresponsible: Have a victim mindset in which they blame everyone for their failures – the government, parents, partner, boss – but don’t take responsibility for what they are creating or not creating.
3. Lazy: Most don’ters are not prepared to really put in the work, and usually that’s because of fear. The reason, they don’t have a plan.
4. Negative: Have a list of why they shouldn’t do something instead of having a list of why they should do something or want to do something.
5. Unmotivated: Lack of inspiration usually because they’re unhappy in their life, whether it be in their relationship, work or home life etc.
6. No plan: Don’ters have no direction and therefore no foundation to build goals and see them come to fruition.
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This post was inspired by the underlying good intention from the film “Pain and Gain”. Based on a true story, it takes being a “doer” to an unacceptable level. But the mechanics of the thinking and application, will change your life!
I think you’ll get a lot more done and achieve a lot more in life by reinforcing to yourself that ‘you are a doer’… and be proud of the fact!
So there you have it. That’s how it’s done.
To recap – get a goal, get a plan and get up off your backside.
The choice is yours. Which one are you – are you a doer or a don’ter?
Let us know in the comment field below – and tell us if you were one but changed.
