Are you a dreamer or a doer?

The dreamer thinks big. He may be years away, but he sees himself playing for India. He is desperate to pull on the jersey and feel the adulation of the crowd when he makes his first international hundred. It is his passion.

The doer is more granular. He thinks about the simple processes of playing cricket. He focuses on technique and tactical nous. He is thinking about the next physical action.

Neither of these approaches are wrong, but the both also miss a step if they are serious about planning for an international debut.

Think it through

Neither approach has taken the essential step of thinking through the goal.

The dreamer is so focused on the big prize he has no time to define a realistic outcome that he can achieve in the next few weeks and months.

The doer is so busy on the small parts he hasn't thought through what success really looks like.

And so for both, the answer is to take some time away from their view and think on another level.

This thinking is important.

For the dreamer it's important because it clarifies your thoughts and aims and turns them into specific action that you can take.

For the doer this thinking helps you put a 'stake in the ground' about where you will be when you have completed all those specific actions.

However, most people avoid this level of thinking for one simple reason; it's scary.

When you step away and think you confront questions like;

• Is my aim realistic?
• Do I know what to do?
• Am I taking the right steps?

You may find the answers don't match your view of the world, and that is never pretty. That's what has been referred to as 'the risk of the visionary'.

But take that risk, because clarity of vision allows you to focus on a realistic goal. And we all know the power of focus.

How to think

What does this thinking process look like?

Start with a pen and paper. You need to get everything down.

Then ask yourself what do you need to do to make your ambition come true.

You have to let your brain run free through all the possibilities so don't make a list. That's too organised and doesn't match how you plan natually.

Instead just think freely, write topics on the page as you think of them. Use brainstorming to throw ideas out without judging.

With everything out of your brain you can start to organise these thoughts into a list of actions to take.

These actions are your stepping stones towards your ambitions, and it's the thinking that links the dreaming to the doing.