Parachutes open overhead—Marion Doss (Flickr.com)

“Minds are like parachutes- not much good unless they are open.” Mackay’s Moral

What’s the toughest thing you DO in your business?

So often in business, we’re comfortable in the DOING.

We’re always busy DOING.

CPAs are busy DOING taxes. (Like my brother, a partner in a CPA Firm. Typically during this time of year he logs 90 + hours a week- DOING freaking Tax Returns! ACK!!!)

Ophthalmologists are busy DOING eye surgeries. (Like Dr. Mertz, who just this past week, performed a cataract procedure on my Mom’s left eye. Right eye next in two weeks)

Guys with Snow Plows are busy DOING. (Yep, once again in South Eastern Pennsylvania- more snow today)

Auto Mechanics and Body Shops are busy DOING. (Fixing stalled cars, fender-benders as a result of the snowy, cold weather)

Pizza Restaurants are busy DOING. (Baking pizzas and delivery because it’s cold and snowy… and pizza goes great with Olympics viewing)

Everybody’s busy DOING.

DOING seems productive. Lots of times we’re comfortable in the DOING because we’ve been trained to DO the thing we DO.

Yet, when DO you take time to THINK?

Over the years my DOING has been meeting and counseling businesses on financial and marketing planning.

I always got excited about working with a business who told me:

“Walt, let’s meet on Thursday. That’s the day I work ON my business, not IN my business.”

The ONE thing I discovered, without fail, that the best businesses…  businesses leading their market… innovative, cutting-edge, growing and thriving businesses… businesses really making it…

DID this one thing.

They stepped away, on purpose, with intent, scheduled and planned not DOING.

They scheduled THINKING about their business.

And DID some serious THINKING. Tough stuff.

Today in Early to Rise, Harvey Mackay writes about the value of THINKING in your business.

But, it’s not just you as the owner who should DO all the THINKING.

Harvey Mackay, in his article shares four ways to encourage THINKING:

1. Get Excited about it.
2. Stimulate it.
3. Celebrate it.
4. Give Credit for it.

Imagine what could happen in your business as a result of THINKING…

And you actually DO something with one or two of the really good ideas that you brew up?

Photo Credit: Flickr The U.S. Army