The calendar says it's winter, but at A.R.S. Automotive we've already started our yearly spring cleaning ritual. Many shops, mine included, tend to gather "stuff" in the corners and on the shelves during the winter.

We are in a full assault on all that "stuff." It's inspected and subjected to the six-month rule, which says if something hasn't been touched in six months it gets sent back or thrown out. There are few exceptions to this rule.

Going through this ritual is time well spent. A freshly cleaned shop has a positive effect on everyone. Getting rid of the old, outdated "stuff" opens up room for the new things we need to keep moving forward.

What's really great about spring cleaning is that it allows for some mind time. It doesn't take the full force of my concentration to clean the dark corners of the shop and I find myself wondering how we can improve.

My brain asks me, "Dan, if we can be cleaner, can't we be better?"

So begins the mental spring cleaning in conjunction with the shop's spring cleaning. I look into the dark corners of my mind and evaluate the way I run the business and manage the staff, interact with customers and invest in equipment and training. Nothing is off limits and I find some "stuff" in my brain that breaks the six-month rule.

I have come to realize that for every new idea I have for getting better, there's hundreds more to be found. Being active in ASA, I know this is the best place to find them. Finding new ideas is one very good reason for participating in ASA's Annual Convention. "Spring Break 2003" is the theme for the convention being held March 19-22 in Sandestin, Fla.

In the midst of my early spring cleaning, I'm looking forward to Spring Break. All of us who gather at the convention are in the business of repairing automobiles and running shops. For three or four days, that's what we talk about. We talk and we listen. We step away from the day-to-day and focus on giving our minds a thorough spring cleaning. At the convention - in the classrooms, around lunch tables and during the receptions - those hundreds of good ideas are shared, discussed and looked at from every angle. Some may not work for my particular shop, but many will.

My brain will be at the ASA convention, but A.R.S. Automotive stays in Pittsburgh. The inventory that's been sitting in the corners of my mind will receive my full attention. I'll discover that much of it is still worth keeping. Some, however, will need to be thrown out and replaced by something from your inventory of ideas.

I am really looking forward to seeing you at ASA's Spring Break 2003!

And the brain responds, "Yes, we can be better."

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