I firmly believe that many of us fall into two categories: the dreamers and the doers.

The dreamers are people who have fantastic ideas. In business, the dreamers may sit in power positions in marketing departments, coming up with fabulously creative ventures while their less senior workers implement them. While these dreamers may thrive in the business world, the implementation of their personal dreams may come up short.

I know a few of these people. On a weekly or monthly basis they will, gleam in their eye, enthusiastically detail their newest idea. As I listen, generally I think the ideas are fantastic. But it never fails that when I follow up with the person on where they stand with the implementation of these ideas, they give me that look my Jack Russell terrier gives me when I try to talk to her.

Then, there are the doers. These are the people who come up with an idea and actually follow through on it. Doers want more than anything for the idea to come to fruition. And they want to get good at it. They spend months, even years researching the idea – trying, failing, picking back up and trying again. Doers are unstoppable. You can try to get in their way, but it doesn’t matter. They’ll just hop right over you and keep on moving forward.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love my dreamer friends. They are usually wildly creative people and are fun to be around and absorb energy from…when they’re “on.” But doers need each other. Doers will not laugh at your idea or make catty comments about your efforts. Because we know it’s not at all easy being a doer. It takes loads of discipline. We fall, constantly, but we always pick ourselves up and keep going. We are dogs with bones. We are on missions.

One note for the doers, and you know who you are, don’t let the dreamers get you down. They don’t understand us. They shoot us slightly condescending grins when we talk about our passions – all but dying to give us a, “Yeah, right,” when we talk about our dreams. It’s because they don’t understand the sacrifice of follow through which sucks up every moment of your free time. And if I do study, research, and keep going and redoing and redoing however many times it takes, then why can’t I achieve my goal, no matter how lofty it is. Why can’t I open a restaurant, or run a marathon, or become a best-selling author. Why not me?

Dreamers…keep on dreaming.

Doers…make it happen.