The main thing that marks the Developer is that they are comfortable making forward progress even in the midst of uncertainty. Even in the midst of their work they are perpetually scanning the horizon for new insights, new opportunities, and new ways of approaching their work.
Todd Henry of The Accidental Creative breaks down three different productivity types – the Driver, the Drifter, and the Developer.
Drivers are motivated by the task at hand. They want to get stuff done, nose to the grindstone.
Drifters are multitaskers of life, diffusing their focus on many different things.
The Developer involves a balancing act of perspective, fostering focus while allowing drifting and dreaming.
Whatever productivity type you tend to be, try to actively go into Developer Mode and take some time to see both the forest and the trees.
Which productivity type are you?