The Put-It-To-Work Dreamer vs. The Day-Dreamy Amateur
Do you consider yourself a dreamer? If so, are your dreams unfolding in reality or merely a shiny glimmer in your mind’s eye? If the latter, keep reading. This one’s for you.
“We were amateurs living in the past or dreaming of the future, while failing utterly to do the work necessary to progress in the present.”
here’s what you’ll gain from this article:
Learn the difference between the Put-It-To-Work Dreamer + the Day-Dreamy Amateur
Find out why dreamers have a difficult time making their dreams come true.
Three resources.
Let’s get to it!
TWO TYPES OF DREAMERS
Do you consider yourself a ‘dreamer’?
We certainly are. But we’ve learned that there are two distinct types of dreamers:
The Put-It-To-Work Dreamer uses her dream as a springboard. This type of dreamer treats her dreams as signposts to guide her brave, fear-facing daily actions.
She visualizes her dreams and then sits her butt down day after day to move the needle meaningfully forward.
She’s totally in touch with reality. This dreamer knows that only her actions can bring her dreams to life and that without action, her dreams will stay exactly that… a dream. A hope. A wish never fulfilled
In other words, she humbly accepts the fact that big, exciting dreams are achieved one ordinary day at a time.
“It seems counterintuitive, but it’s true: in order to achieve ‘flow,’ ‘magic,’ ‘the zone,’ we start by being common and ordinary and workmanlike.” — Steven Pressfield
The Day-Dreamy Amateur lives out her dreams entirely within her mind’s eye, never (or only infrequently) taking the necessary steps* to make her dreams a reality.
This dreamer rests on the laurels of yesterday’s dreams. She’s constantly waiting for her big break—a shimmering stroke of luck.
She puts far too much faith in her dreams and far too little in herself.
She makes the fatal mistake of believing that if she dreams it, it will build itself.
This dreamer’s dreams are exciting yet fruitless.
*There are two distinct subtypes within the Day-Dreamy Amateur type. (1) The big dreamer who takes little action at all. AKA the procrastinator. “I’ll do what it takes to achieve my dreams… and I’ll start tomorrow.” (2) The big dreamer who takes lots of scattered, shallow action that doesn’t actually move the needle forward on her most important, soul-evolving work. AKA the popped balloon in this balloon metaphor. This Day-Dreamy Amateur is super busy doing all the wrong things.
Which dreamer are you?
We should note that it’s not uncommon to shift which type of dreamer you are at some point in your life. In fact, most of us make the shift to Put-It-To-Work Dreamer around the same time we turn Pro.
DAYDREAMING IS SAFE
So, why is it that some of us put our dreams to work while others remain trapped in La-la land?
Most simply put: Daydreaming is safe.
More complexly put: The Day-Dreamy Amateur’s sense of self (read: ego) is intricately entwined with her work.
Because of this, taking consistent meaningful action means she’s putting herself on the line.
If she pursues her dream and fails, her ego takes on the failure as its own. In this way, the Amateur personalizes failure.
It’s much safer to daydream big than to play big. And so the Day-Dreamy Amateur talks big dreams but plays perpetually small.
On the contrary, the Put-It-To-Work Dreamer realizes that she is not her work.
Rather, she views herself as a conduit for Universal creativity to flow through. From this distanced perspective, failure is informative rather than injurious.
She’s learned that fulfillment isn’t a single milestone to be reached but rather a continuously occurring byproduct of facing her fears and doing the work.
As it turns out, big dreams are achieved one small, ordinary step at a time.
INTENTION
I dream big but I play bigger. I take small daily steps in the direction of my dreams.
3 RESOURCES
Book: Turning Pro* by Steven Pressfield
Book: Big Magic* by Liz Gilbert
Freebie: Spiritual Starter Kit
*This is an affiliate link. Purchasing through affiliate links helps fund us at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
