What's wrong with being a dreamer?

I was recently called a dreamer. I took that as a compliment because I knew their intention was to say that I look at life as it could be, not as it is and that I am willing to take the risks to make my dreams into reality.

I am an entrepreneur by nature. It doesn't matter what environment I am in I am always looking for ways to improve, innovate and optimize.

But is being an entrepreneur equivalent to being a "dreamer"?

Before answering that question I pulled the definition of a dreamer. The definition of a dreamer is "a person who lives in or escapes to a world of fantasy or illusion"

The most successful people that I know in business or in their personal lives are those that are willing to push the limits. They aren't scared of failure, but believe prudent planning and the willingness to take risks will result in success.

The dreamers are those that never take action.

But don't be mislead; success is about more than just taking action. It's about having a plan, understanding how to analyze small successes and failures along the way, adjusting as needed, listening, learning and not giving up unless you've exhausted all of your options.

Now I know that last comment may have a lot of eye brows raising "unless you've exhausted all of your options." Let's be honest with ourselves; there are a lot of directions that look good on paper today but fail tomorrow due to sudden and mass technology shifts, economic downturns, new business directives or any other initially uncontrollable circumstances. What I have seen across the board with many of the most consistently successful individuals is their ability to adjust quickly. If the numbers say it isn't working, it isn't working.

Don't be a dreamer, be an innovator... a big thinker... an entrepreneur... Listen, Learn, React!