Think Before I Do

"Think First... Well - that's good advice," observed the main greeter at a hospital in central Maine as he read my business card. This comment stuck with me as I proceeded to meet with the executives of this very rural hospital system.

More often than not in our daily busy lives, the majority of us spend days staying ahead of the things we know we need to get done in both our work and personal lives. I typically measure my day by the difference between the tasks I had on my list at the start of the day compared to what remains there when the day is through. Again and again, it seems that my list has grown larger at the end of every day.

When I reflect on the day, I find myself spending a lot of time "doing" and not necessarily "thinking" about how to be more effiecient in my everyday life. These could be such things as making a list of priorities for the day, outlining my priorities for the week, etc...

In this day of information overload, there are many resources available that can help us make informed decisions about almost every aspect of our lives. There are websites striclty dedicated to the quality of data at hospitals, where our governments spends its money and even the most popular iPhone applications. However we all seem so busy that we very rarely take advantage of the data available that could drive better decision making. We typically make decisions about not waht is available statistically, but rather who referred us in the first place.

I frequently recall my conversation in Maine and now strive everyday to take the time to think before I do. After all, the data is usually available and I do work at a company named Think First.

Chris George, CEO, Think First
http://www.thinkfirst.us