How many times have we heard someone say, “Why didn’t I think of that?”
There are a lot of people who believe that the key to fame and fortune is contained in an idea alone. While every great endeavor requires thought, I believe that most people are only half right when they point to an idea as the key to success. An idea is only part of the equation.
Thought is a great requirement for reaching a goal, but thought without appropriate action will not produce results. It will only produce a pipe dream.
I think that we can categorize people into two categories. There are what I would call “Noun” people and “Verb” people.
A “Noun” as defined by the dictionary is a person, place or thing. A noun without a verb attached to it describes something that is at rest.
A “Verb” is a word that describes action! That’s the key. A person (noun) with an idea, goal and plan who takes the appropriate action can change the world! That’s a person who I would describe as a “Verb” person.
There are countless numbers of people who all have some great ideas. But they never seem to follow through with the action part. Philosopher, Denis Waitley describes these individuals as people who live in a place called “Someday Isle.” “Someday I’ll write the book.” “Someday I’ll get more organized.” “Someday I’ll start a business.” “Someday I’ll do more for the community.” We can go on and on. It’s really a human defect that most of us need to overcome and be aware of throughout our lifetimes. It’s called procrastination. I think that we are all victims of procrastination at various times in our life. The ability to overcome procrastination and take the necessary action is what separates successful people from people who are operating at less than their full potential.
Procrastination, or the do it later mindset can be a very difficult thing to overcome. It requires the habits of action and consistency.
Fortunately, we have many “Verb” people in our organization. “Verb” people are good for one another. They hold each other accountable to a certain standard. I’ve come to realize that people of action tend to enjoy the company of other people of action. They are the people who get things done.
Ideas and action: You need an idea; It’s an important part, but never the less, it’s not the part that leads to achieving your goals. The formula is: Ideas + Action = Results!
“Think like a person of action, act like a person of thought.” – Henri Bergson
Yours in Rotary,
Tony Parziale