Problem solving? Sometimes the best choice is to do nothing

I've been mining some nuggets of wisdom from the web pages of Berkery, Noyes & Co., an investment banking firm specializing in information media.

This is from CEO Joseph Berkery on the subject of setting priorities:

When we commit our time and energy to fixing what isn't working, we risk under-investing in what is. Senior executives rightly pride themselves on the ingenuity and tenacity they bring to their role as problem-solvers. But very often the stronger virtue is courage – the courage to admit that a problem isn't worth fixing, and to face the hard facts of reality. The ability to distinguish opportunity from distraction is partly innate, rooted in the “fight or flight” response on which survival in the natural world so often depends. But successful individuals can train their minds to daily weigh the costs and benefits of fixing a problem or redirecting assets to more profitable pursuits.

What a refreshing thought. Not every problem needs to be fixed. Imagine how much extra time you'd have if you stopped trying to fix everything and concentrated on the stuff that already works.