Best Laid Plans

When I own a book, I like to have a highlighter with me and highlight what impacts me.  I am reading a book at the moment, and I do not know that I have ever wanted to highlight as much as I am.
The chapter I am reading is all about the need of teachability in learning.  “Know alls” tend to want to spruke what they know, and give the impression of nothing more to learn.
The book talks about the importance of humility in learning.  Humility does not assume knowledge but enables someone to learn to their dying day.  As someone said (and I have seen it in practice), “availability is not the most important factor in employment – teachability is.”
Benjamine Frankin though the best use of what he had was to invest it in learning.  He said, “if a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him.  An investment in knowledge always pays the best dividends.”
I thought that was great but the thing that got to me was summarized in a quote from Jack Welsh the founder of GE.  “Ge is a bubbling cauldron of ideas and learning, with tens of thousands of people playing alternate roles of teacher and student.  The operative assumption today is that someone, somewhere, has a better idea: and the operative compulsion is to find out who has that better idea, learn it and to put it into action – fast.”
That last sentence says it all for me.  In a business sense I reckon both a good idea and bad one have the same value if not implemented.  In a personal sense I would rather dwell on the good than the bad.  Thoughts often produce outcomes, and those outcomes are either good or bad for others.  I want my outcomes to be good.
The whole point though is a good idea needs to be implemented to have a positive effect.  Though without action is unproductive.  As is often said the best intentions in the world are useless, if not enacted.
Even as I write a portion of the yard is overgrown and unkempt.  I have great plans.  But these plans are meaningless if they remain only plans.  Monday is the day.