Are you a doer or a dreamer?

Article by Sarah Shaw

When I received an email from Martha Stewart about the third annual Dreamers into Doers contest, it really got me thinking about all the things we – me and you – dream about our lives.  Everyone has dreams, hopes and desires; but do we act on them or wait for them to happen to us? I have been a doer my whole life and have realized lately that I sometimes forget about my dreams – which is why this struck me as so poignant.

Do we need to make our dreams become a reality?
Do they happen naturally if they are meant to be?
Meaning – is there a higher self that controls your destiny?

I have been thinking about this now for a few days.
Since I have always been a doer – have an idea and make it happen kind of gal – I just “did” all the time and never really thought about my dreams in the sense of “Oh I’d like to do this now”. I think I usually just decided to make something happen and I’d start on the process. It might have been sort of unconscious. Like when I started my first handbag business – I didn’t really stop to think, “Can I really do this?” I never felt like the “doing part” was a job – It all sort of came naturally to me. I don’t mean the “how to” part – that I had to dig around and figure it out like everyone else. But I mean the passion to make it happen. I guess I never let anything get in my way when I was making a dream come true.  So this makes me wonder – was it meant to be, was this my destiny? Or was it only my hard work that made it happen?

Cut to many, many years later – I am now a teacher/coach/mentor and LOVE it. I never did anything to become one – it happened naturally. I feel like I was drawn to teach what I know. Was this a dream I never knew I had? In fact, it was the farthest thing from my dreams. Funny story actually – I moved to LA after college to work in the movies as a costumer while I was applying to grad school to get a MFA in Costume Design. I wanted to design costumes on Broadway and thought I needed this degree. Ultimately, I got a full scholarship to NYU – but never went. By that time, I was already successfully working on movies in LA and didn’t see the “need” for a MFA since I wasn’t going to go to Broadway after all, and I never wanted to be a teacher! Funny how things come full circle when you least expect it!

That said, being an Entreprenette means that you are a doer of your dreams. Sometimes your dreams just unfold and happen before you, and the work part seems very minimal – like it sort of falls in your lap. Other times you work very hard to make your dream a reality – usually more often than not. Entreprenettes thrive on finding ways to make it happen, but at the same time, we find that if it is meant to be, it happens almost effortlessly. Being an Entreprenette means being committed to your vision and doing whatever it takes to get there. A strong vision puts so much power in your hands mentally, spiritually and physically.  A vision will help you deal with adversity and get you through it. Knowing that you have to eat, drink and breathe your vision to achieve success is the key to being a successful Entreprenette.

Our dreams come in all sizes and shapes, personally and professionally. Dreams are an important part of real life as well as the imagination. When I think back on my life and the dreams that have become a reality I am amazed.

I speak French fluently
I worked on big Hollywood films
I launched a handbag line and it was hugely successful
I patented something
I married a Frenchman
I finally got pregnant – with identical twins, no less
I had an incredible friendship with my father
I am a business coach/teacher/mentor

What are your dreams and how are you becoming a doer today?

Written by Sarah Shaw