Think and Do
There are 4 types of people.
Those who think.
Those who do.
Those who think and do.
Those who do neither.
Humans have the amazing ability to generate abstract ideas in our heads and bring them into the real world. Few animals can do this, and none can do it at the scale that humans do it. Everything around us was created by someone who “thought and did.” Every light pole, couch cushion, cell phone, and refrigerator was once an idea in someone’s head. Everything. It is quite crazy.
So, if you are someone that is looking to influence and create the world around you, how can you make this happen? Typically, the best way to change the world is to be someone who “thinks and does.”
So, what is someone who “thinks and does?” I’m glad you asked.
Someone who “thinks and does” is an individual that is able to think about something and then go out and do it. They are able to create an idea in their head and bring it into the world. It sounds simple, but surprisingly few people are able to do it. Why is that?
Thinking isn’t easy. It requires you to disconnect. No sounds and no distractions for an extended period of time. In today’s fast-paced, dopamine-driven environment the idea of setting down your phone or stepping away from your computer in order to sit alone in silence sounds like torture.
Additionally, doing isn’t easy. It requires you to focus intently on making something happen. You will feel stupid and make mistakes. The world will scoff at you and put you down every step of the way. Insecure and unimaginative people will write you off and talk poorly about you. Creating something that doesn’t exist isn’t beautiful. It is not like the movies. You are literally forcing your idea into the world. Fighting and clawing your way into its existence.
Now that we understand what someone who “thinks and does” is, what is someone who just thinks or just does? Someone who thinks, but does not do, is the friend that always tells you they have an idea for a startup. They are the “wantrepreneur.” They talk about how they are going to quit their job and make their dream a reality. But, their dream remains a dream. They stand on the edge of the diving board afraid to jump in the pool. They create reasons for why they haven’t acted on their dream.
Those who do are very similar to those who “think and do”, the only difference is that those who do sometimes do not take a second to think every now and again. Their heads are too deep in the weeds to take a step back and analyze where they are and where they are going. You see, one of the interesting things about the world’s most impactful people is their ability to think very deeply about the world. To predict its direction and guide their business to where they think the world is headed. This ability to think deeply is incredibly rare, and something very few people work to cultivate.
P.S. My two favorite “deep thinkers” are Balaji Srinivasan and Naval Ravikant. Their outlooks on life and business have influenced me in a meaningful way.