Window-openers vs Door-knockers

I came across an analogy in a podcast this week that really resonated with me.

It talked about how there are two types of people. Some are window-openers. When making decisions about what to do with their time, they want to be able to look through a window. If they can see the outcome they want through the glass, they open the window and step through.

The problem is that for most good things in life, the pass to success isn’t so clear. There isn’t an open window with the ideal outcome clearly visible on the other side.

Instead, the best outcomes are often hidden behind doors. We have to knock and open many different doors to see what’s behind each one. The second type of people therefore, the door-knockers, are the ones who take these different opportunities. There might not be an immediate, guaranteed short-term return, but they’ll go for it anyway and use it as a learning opportunity.

Over time, the door-knockers do lots of things that increase their leverage. They speak at events, they blog, they tweet, they meet people, they learn new skills. Individually, a single one of these might not lead to a ‘good’ outcome. But overall, the door-knockers increase the surface area for potential positive outcomes.

So, when making decisions about what to do, do you only open windows, or do you knock on doors as well?