Owald Avery was a medical research for the Rockefeller Institute. He was also a key player in the attempt to identify the pathogen of the 1918 influenza pandemic.

Avery believed that "results... are not random products of chance observation. They are the fruit of years of wise reflection, objective thinking, and thoughtful experimentation."

John Barry, author of the Great Influenza, studied Avery and others. In his book, Barry goes on to describe the process that these researchers went through to try and achieve a result/outcome - identifying the pathogen. As I was thinking about it... there's lots to be learned about this process - we could apply it to our own attempts to achieve goals.

1. Declare your goal/identify the problem.

2. Identify all the things that can be learned about achieving your goal and determine how you can learn more about each thing.

3. Deep dive - start learning! With each new learning, ask "So what?" Determine why that learning is important.

4. Think creatively - ask "what if?" questions. What if we did (blank) instead of (blank)?

5. Make a plan. How might we do (blank)?

6. Experiment - test the plan.

7. Gather feedback - did it work? did it not work?

8. Repeat steps 4, 5, 6, and 7 over and over again. Learn more and more until you achieve your goal.

If Avery is right - the only way we'll achieve a goal, result, solve a problem is through a process. A process that combines scientific and creative thinking skills.

A bit complicated? Sure. But it's an idea. An idea is a great place to start.