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Have you ever thought to yourself, ”I need to make something happen. I need to decide what to do next. I need a plan?” Haven’t we all! Coming up with a plan is a creative process. It is no different than the approach of an artist, a musician, a writer, an engineer or a research scientist. It starts with an idea or an inspiration. From there it is put forth through knowledge, skill and ability. The sketch becomes a painting, the words become a poem, the notes become a song, and the thoughts become a plan. The conception of an idea and the implementation of that idea come from two different places within you. It is said that inspiration comes from your heart and execution comes from your head. Your deeper subconscious whispers the thought to you and, if you listen, your conscious awareness can make something of it. It takes both parts of your mind to bring an idea into action. Understanding this process can add incredible value and success to your life. Along the way, you learn how to increase your awareness of the opportunity to choose what happens to you next. You already have this ability within you to make better decisions to get what you want. It might be a little want, like a parking place up front, or something more, like to close the sale or complete the project. Often it is a big want, like to heal a relationship or improve your life. Whether it is about something you want to get done in your day or something you want to get done in your life, it always comes down to what is important to you. This is where your head and your heart must agree. It is pretty simple really. You have heard it all your life. To engage your whole mind, you must slow down and pay attention. Take a moment to stop and think! But do you do it? Will you do it? Can you do it? We rush along in our day with fast food and microwaves, quick shops and one hour cleaning, Fed-x or Fax, e-mail, instant messaging, I-Pods and I- Phones, GPS, web conferencing and the internet, where the answer to anything you can think of is available at the touch of your finger.. Then there are the kids, with soccer games, school work, teacher’s conferences, and your parents, with surprise visits, change of plans and doctors appointments. And your own job and deadlines and when will you ever find time for yourself? Slow down and pay attention? Easy to say! Of course, the easiest things to say are often the hardest things to do. Stand up straight, stop and think, exercise more, quit smoking, lose some weight. You tell your son ...get a job, and you tell your mom… “Don’t worry!” It is not that we don’t know we should do these things, we just aren’t convinced yet. As they say, and it is not a cliché, “You have to believe it to achieve it.” Whether you want to break a habit or learn a new skill, it takes that first moment of conscious focus to conceive a new direction, then a reality check to consider whether you believe it has possibility, and, after that, comes the most crucial decision of all. Is it important to you or not? If it is something you really want for yourself, your subconscious, which is always listening, will also start to believe you and then do everything it can to help you break or make the new wiring in your head. Only then does it happen for real.