It figures. The one year I choose not to go to one of my favorite conferences, they come up with some really incredible content.

Don’t get me wrong: The content at the AICPA’s Interchange Conference (an annual gathering of the AICPA and state CPA societies) is always great. This year, though, they really floored me — and they did it in only six words.

Like I said, I wasn’t there, but I was following the conference hashtag on Twitter when Dan LaBert of the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs sent out a stunning tweet from Steve Uzzell‘s closing keynote. Uzzell’s topic was “An Exploration of Creative Problem-Solving,” and at one point, according to LaBert’s tweet, he said this:

“If your horse is dead, dismount.”

And just like that, my mind was blown.

Granted, I don’t know the context in which Uzzell said it, but it’s a powerful quote nonetheless. Here’s what it means to me:

• Stop clinging to outdated business models.
• Quit resisting change.
• Open your mind.
• Try new things.
• Learn something new.
• If it’s not helping you and your clients grow, stop doing it.

Those aren’t easy things to do, but we have to do them anyway. We ride those old, beaten-down horses to death, don’t we? It’s what we do.

In an age that calls for speed, nimbleness and flexibility, we end up going nowhere in the process.