Successful people don't just think about doing things; they actually do them. That's why colleges are always looking for students who make things happen.
According to his IMDB biography, Stanley Kubrick once said, "Perhaps it sounds ridiculous, but the best thing that young filmmakers
should do is to get hold of a camera and some film and make a movie of
any kind at all." Note to potential film majors: You don't become a filmmaker by talking about your favorite films. You've got to actually make some.
Most people didn't know who Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were back in 1996. Then they wrote "Good Will Hunting" and won an Academy Award. They could have just talked about writing a movie; but they actually did it.
Bill Bowerman was a track coach at the University of Oregon in the late 60's. He thought the standard racing shoes with metal spikes were too heavy. So he started making his teams' shoes himself complete with rubber soles he forged on his wife's waffle iron. A few years later, he co-founded a little shoe company called Nike.
Steve Jobs didn't know much about computers when he started Apple in 1976. But his friend Steve "Woz" Wozniak did. Woz had been building circuit boards that computer hobbyists could buy and turn into computers. But he was just doing it for fun. It was Jobs who saw the potential for the personal computer. It took awhile, but he eventually convinced Woz to start a company with him–Jobs even sold his VW bus for $500 to help fund the start up (according to iCon). Jobs wasn't just a thinker–he was the person who actually got Woz on board and started the company.
Ben and Jerry were sitting on the steps at Jerry's parents' house in 1977 talking about what kind of business they could start together. They both loved to eat and decided to open an ice cream parlor because it was cheaper than opening a restaurant. First, they took a $5 correspondence course through Penn State (they split the tuition and shared the material) to learn how to make ice cream. Then they found an abandoned gas station they could rent cheap and did all the renovations themselves. They put the last coat of orange paint on the ceiling the night before they opened. They combined thinking with doing (and eating) to start their business.
What are you thinking about doing that you actually could be doing?
- Does your softball team need to raise money new uniforms?
- Is your senior class looking for a place to hold your prom?
- Do you wish you knew more about the Civil War?
- Do you need to learn more about which colleges are right for you?
- Would you be a better basketball player if you could sink more free throws?
- Does the homeless shelter where you volunteer need someone to supervise people on Saturdays?
- Does the store where you work part time need a website?
- Could you be the first chair violinist if you practiced a little more?
- Does your soccer team need to organize practices for the summer?
- Would it be great if your art class could display their work in the hallway?
- Is there a kid at school who's being treated badly and would like someone to reach out and be nice to him?
Thinking about doing something is the easy part. It's the doing that's important.