Last week, we discussed the importance of having mobility for your to-do list. I wanted to add a little bit of flavour to that concept. For years, while I was commuting to and from work (sometimes driving, sometimes taking the subway), I would have an idea. It would be brilliant, it would be insightful, it would be world-shattering. Sadly, because I had no place to write it down while I was on the move, by the time I eventually got to my desk, the idea would be gone. I can’t tell you how frustrating it is to know you had a good idea, but be unable to recall what the idea was.
- Ideas come and go – I don’t know about you, but I like to think about things. Sometimes they are passing thoughts, and sometimes they are profound thoughts. Regardless of their nature, if the idea is worth pursuing, I like to ensure that I have a designated space to record those thoughts. It took me a while to figure out that when I didn’t write my ideas down, they would end up vanishing on me, but once I got my system working, I have rarely failed to capture my ideas.
- Capturing ideas makes them happen. The whole point of having your to-do list with you at all times is to fully utilize the concept of the “Second brain.” As I understand it, the concept means that you have a place to write down stray (but valid) thoughts, so that you can be reminded of them later. I have had to write down my ideas when I’m on the move, and what I like about this ability is that, regardless of whether it’s a good idea or not, I still have the opportunity to write it down somewhere to save it for later. This allows me the ability to (if nothing else) have a place where I can put the idea down and save it for later. There are as many ideas that I’ve had which I’ve been able to take action on because I’ve written them down as there are ideas that I’ve lost because I wasn’t able to write them down.
- Accessibility is key – for a good portion of my adult life, I have been a note taker. I used to carry a small notebook where I would jot down any notes I made. The problem with that was that when I ran out of pages, I would have to start a new notebook, and it would become an out-of-sight, out-of-mind situation. Now, between my reMarkable and my Notion to-do list, I have not only every active note that I could ever want, but I also have the history of my notes, so I can go back and look for whatever I want, whenever I want. The accessibility I have allows me to complete my tasks, but it also enables me to access my data whenever inspiration strikes.
I will be the first to admit that my thought process doesn’t follow a straight line. The consequence of my mental meanderings is that I occasionally come up with random good ideas. Having my to-do list and other notes in a way that is easy to get to allows me to grab those ideas when they are fresh. To be clear, I’m not trying to diminish those of you who can hold onto those random thoughts until you’re in a place where you can get the info down; just the opposite. I’m simply saying that I have a hard time keeping all the ideas in my head, so it’s much easier for me to keep something on hand so that I can put those thoughts down somewhere for later.
Where do you keep your random thoughts?
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