[Day 1/4] How to go from “dreamer” to “doer”

Reader,

I remember, from time to time growing up, my parents used to call me “susth” (Punjabi for lazy).

Thinking about it now reminds me of my friend, who everyone called lazy.

Funny enough, he didn’t start off that way. He actually used to get the best grades without even trying. "I don't understand why they make this so easy," he would say. Even though he hardly worked, his parents praised him as their “smartest son."

Then college came.

His grades weren't so great anymore. "I could do better if I wanted to," he said. "I just don't care about school." Truthfully, he wasn't really sure HOW to get straight A's anymore. He wondered if he'd actually hurt himself by not learning how to study … but it was too late to learn now, right?

At least he thought so. And he ended up picking an easier major.

Graduation rolled around and years went by.

By 25, his friends seemed like they'd picked a career, not just a job. But he jumped from one job to the next, never sure what he wanted to do. Wasn't he the smart one? How come he'd always been the best … and now his friends seemed to know something he didn't? In the back of his mind, he had a haunting worry. Had he peaked?

* * *

Compare him to another friend I know.

She got promoted to a senior consultant. She’s been working out for years. When her friends see her, they say, “You look amazing!” (What they’re really thinking is “How do you find the time?” and “I wish I could look like that.”) All this, and she has 2 kids.

She reminds me of the old phrase: “If you want to get something done, give it to a busy person.”

Some people just seem to do it all. What makes someone have all that energy? What’s the difference between people who talk and talk … and people who actually follow through?

Why do some of us call ourselves lazy?

Like no other time in history, we’re overwhelmed with too many choices. We’re worried about being paralyzed by too many options. About being labeled as a "job hopper" or as someone who starts things, but never finishes them.

Is this you?

Why is it so easy to talk a big game about losing weight … or starting a business … or moving to another city … but so hard to actually follow through?

And it’s not like we can turn to the same people for advice. Our parents nag and wave their fingers, but they picked one job and stuck with it for 30 years. That doesn't happen anymore.

Is it too late to change? Or have we become so used to dreaming about big things tomorrow … that we can’t even start with something small today?

This week, I'm going to be talking about FOLLOWING THROUGH. Tomorrow, I'm going to share some tactics I used to go from a "dreamer" to a "doer."

And on Wednesday, I'll tell you about my course that arms you with tested strategies and tactics on how to stop talking about success … and how to kick yourself into high gear to actually DO it.

If this is something you struggle with, I want you to read this fascinating and haunting Reddit post on people who had great potential but didn't seem to do anything with it. See if the comments resonate with you.

For some of us, it’s exciting to know we can make a change. For others, it’s intimidating to confront the demons of motivation, laziness, and procrastination … because what if we’ve been doing it wrong all along?

This week is going to be a real eye-opener for most of us. Stay tuned.

P.S. Let me know one thing you could have accomplished if it weren't for your laziness. Just write back here. I read every reply (yes, really).