There was an article I wrote that discussed author Scott Belsky‘s approach to Making Ideas Happen. In it, we are asked if each of us is a Dreamer, a Doer or an Incrementalist. Here’s what the article said:
The Dreamer is the one who – for lack of a better word – dreams up the ideas. The Doer is the one who focuses purely on execution. And the Incrementalist? These are the ones who are mix of both. They shift from Dreamer to Doer as needed. They can think of the ideas and then actually get them done.
Which One is Better?
I had the opportunity to ask Scott if there was a perfect recipe for the mix of people in a group or organization. For instance, is it best to have 2 of each if it were a group of 6? I in part expected him to say that the Incrementalist trumps the other two and it’s best to have them, the others being obsolete. But he didn’t. Instead, he said there was no magic mixture of the types. It’s basically whatever works, but you do need all of them.
The same approach applies to Functional Happiness and the Dreams, Life Passions and Development of Self that we all pursue. Setting goals, which is a key element of the Model of Functional Happiness, requires that we first have a vision (being the Dreamer) and then are able to put a realistic plan into action (being the Doer).
What is important to understand, as we can extract from Scott Belsky’s response, is that there is no right answer, no predetermined formula for success and this equally applies to happiness. We all must find our own version of functional happiness for our lives whether that requires us to be Dreamers, Doers or both.