Tom Leu "seeing things" … perspectives on music, marketing, & motivation

three kinds of people

Why do some people take action and accomplish much in life while others do not?

When referring to stepping up, accomplishing goals and making dreams a reality, people generally fall into one of three categories:

1. Those that DO.
Doers don’t ask, they just act. They don’t declare, they just do. They are the embodiment of persistence as evidenced through the enthusiasm for what they do. They may be fearful at times; have occasional doubts; and periodically get down; but this is most often short-lived as these kinds of people have an inner strength that transcends their circumstances. Quite simply, they become successful because they HAVE to. Not doing what it takes is NOT an option.

2. Those that DON’T.
These are people who are victims, not victors. They constantly make excuses while rarely executing anything. They reject responsibility and routinely place blame. They are usually a part of the problem and unusually a part of the solution. They are quick to tell you why not and slow to tell you why. They may have dreams, but lack the courage to really pursue them. It’s easy to dream. But it’s very hard to continually muster the necessary courage, often in the face of opposition, to persevere and see things through… to do what they say can’t be done!

3. Those that THINK they DO.
This is arguably worse than #2 because the illusion exists that real progress is being made when it really is not. Most of these folks are convinced that they’re making progress because they are “busy” all the time. Their to-do lists are usually long, but their real output toward high-payoff activities is low, although they don’t see it that way. They frequently confuse busyness with productivity. They ARE NOT the same thing. These are the people that do a lot of talking about what they are going to do, what’s gonna happen, and what their plans are. Planning and preparation are good and necessary to get things underway, but ultimately, talk is cheap. You’re either DOING what you say or you’re not. To paraphrase Tony Robbins, ‘when you’re constantly saying you should be doing this and should have done that, pretty soon you’re shoulding all over yourself.’

Make up your mind; talking and taking action are usually mutually exclusive.

So which kind of person are you? Which category do you find yourself in most often? And is that OK with you?

©2009 Tom Leu