Our family has a long history of being thinkers. We read magazines, newspapers, books, etc. and then talk about them. We talk them to death! As a young man, I thought we “looked smart” since we were thinkers for the last few generations. We also “sounded smart”. Then, thinking to improve our family line, I realized that if a book is written by a “doer”, I can learn from them how to accomplish, so I kept reading and thinking, looking for “The Answer”. It never came.

Life is more sophisticated than that. While the books and thinking and pondering are great, the reality is that life is meant to be lived. It is complicated and there are many factors. This reading, thinking, and pondering helps to lay a framework that enables us to take action when situations occur.

So, while I do think (and even if I did not, my clients would make me), I have learned that if I make any mistake, it is to do more doing. This is where the wisdom is. That is what has allowed us to develop as an organization (we are a bunch of “doers”). It is what has allowed us to produce books, additional capabilities in our program, white papers, etc. It has also made my personal life richer with more traveling and exposure to people and experiences and skills.

While I want to continue “doing more doing”, sometimes, there are days when everyone was “doing” by rearranging, cancelling and stopping the flow of life in anticipation of the inclement weather (literal or figurative). Sometimes it is much better to sit back, see what happens, and then fit your “doing” into what really happens instead of the theory of what may happen.

Three rules to take into consideration when thinking, reading, and doing:

• Rule #1: Choose when you “think” and when you “do”! Don’t do it the same way most of the time.
• Rule #2: If in doubt, “do”. Don’t talk about it and wait to get forced into “doing”, which is what some leaders do.
• Rule #3: And, don’t just go “do” without checking with few thinkers either. This will help you avoid blind spots.

Some questions to consider:

• Which is your tendency, to “think” or to “do”?

• Do you know how to do it the other way?

• Do you choose “to think” or “to do”, or does it choose you?

If your organization needs help doing more “doing”, contact our expert guides at 800-786-4332 or email CClemmer@AppliedVisionWorks.com. It only takes 30 minutes to get started!