A mind is like a Parachute, it doesn't work unless its Open...

Setting Goal, Making Action Plans, Getting Results and Finding Solutions... When it comes to problem solving and solutions and achieving goals: Yes, unless you can have an open mind, rethink things, be flexible and listen...listen...and listen to your surrounding-you will never get the answers. Often we spin our wheels searching for that light at the end of the tunnel or the 'great hope' but all along I think we have always had the answers. It is when we open up, shut up and get up is when we start finding solutions to simple things that become big things/problems. I am always amazed at how long it takes for that first word of advice, suggestion, hint or what have you to finally sink in. It sometimes takes a toll before I guess we wake up and make the coffee before we can smell the coffee. What I mean is that we often want to get better, fix things and be the best but unless we can define that in terms of a goal, quantify it, assign it in terms of an action plan, monitor it & evaluate it against a time line; we will never realize the goal. It is quite simple, very academic and it just means doing what we know in our mind and soul to do. Just do it. Step One: Smash It. Throw out all our prejudices and 'whys of why it can't work' or 'I don't knows' and 'We can'ts', ect. Start from ground zero. Rethink it all. Step Two: Define the problem. This is not as easy as it may seem. Define the problem as it relates to what you hope to achieve. What are your goals. Step Three: Create a Plan of Action. What steps do you need to take to accomplish this. Try to quantify your plan, hold it accountable against a timeline with measureable results. Step Four: Evaluate the progress of your plans, action, and if needed adjust. Get & give feedback on the successes, results that are being done. Step Five: Achieve your Goals. Get to mission accomplished. Take a look at your end product, result. Is it right. Is it inline with your goals. Does everything go inline with your Mission Statement, Business Statement. Last Step: Take it and go with it. Continue to evaluate, get feedback and allow for changes. You know things don't have to be done in hard ruled steps but its illustrated here to explain things. The point is to look at things and be willing to grow and give your customer what they want. One of the beauties of our government is our Constitution of the United States. A wonderful document and admired by so many and used as a history and current training/learning tool of creating a government. The founding fathers didn't have all the answers but they were smart enough to know that things would have to change, improve, ect toward the will of the people. So the founding fathers created provisions in the constitution to allow for change, admendments, judicial branch, legislative branch, voting, ect. When you really study this 'piece of paper', you can only marvel at the genious of it. It truly is genious. Its genious because such beautiful work still allow itself to be be progressed over time towards, hopefully one day, perfection. And the founding fathers knew that day if it ever truly can come is so far, far away that they allow room in the constitution for all of this. You see, they knew it then that unless the mind is open to change, it cannot trully work. Never stop growing. Never stop learning. Never stop sharing. And never stop willing to take risks in doing this. Be a true leader. And I say this..."Those who can,Do! Those who can't, Teach! Those who do neither-Do Nothing!"