DISQUS

DemoGeek · 6 months ago

My problem is, as soon as I start writing things down my stream of idea flow stops right there. May be we should have a solution that can read the sub-conscious mind ;)

Glen Stansberry · 6 months ago

I hear ya. I'm all for the sub-conscious mind-writer :)

Hannah · 8 months ago

Just started carrying paper around with me and is working!
Personally I love mind mapping as an excellent way of enhancing ideas capture and often idea generation.

Can't believe that mindmapping has only been mentioned by one commenter to this blog (Three cheers for Adam Kayce : Monk At Work - response 50)

Hannah

Benjaloo · 3 years ago

Great post!

Re #1-"Always carry paper". You make the point that there are many other collection devices-I'd like to mention a couple that I've found useful.

My smartphone has a voice recorder, which I've found incredibly useful. Many of my best ideas happen while driving--I can pick up the phone and press one button with one hand and dictate memos into the phone.

My wife wanted the same capability but doesn't have a phone with this feature built in. Two solutions:
1. program speed-dial to call your own voicemail; or
2. I set her up with a voice-mail-to-e-mail solution (many exist free online) since she uses email a lot and voicemail hardly ever.

Also, I get a lot of great ideas in the shower; somebody on one of the Yahoo GTD lists recommended getting a scuba dive clipboard that can be written on in the shower with a pencil, or using a wax pencil on the tiles. I use the diveboard, and it's incredible.

Now I never forget a good idea no matter where and when I get it.

glen · 3 years ago

Wow, you've taken it to a whole new level with the scuba board :)

I'll agree with you about the driving. If I have to scribble something down while I'm driving, it's kind of a hazard. I haven't messed with the voice-mail to email things yet, but it sounds handy.

Jennifer · 3 years ago

Great tips. Number 2 is particularly important for me. I'm always taking incomplete notes and left wondering what the heck I'm supposed to do. Lately I've been working on being more specific in my to do lists and meeting notes and it's a big help.

Matthew Cornell · 3 years ago

Nice post. Another idea that I've found useful is to keep a lighted pen next to the side of the bed, along with a pad of paper. Rather than getting up when thoughts strike (and turning on a light, going into another room, etc. and upsetting sleep) I just jot it down right there. Of course one has to *do* something with it later, but that's what GTD excels at.

glen · 3 years ago

Thanks for the kind words guys.

Jennifer: yeah, I've found that the more I can write descriptive things I can write about my ideas, the easier it is to get myself in the "mode of thinking" I was in at the time of writing them.

Matthew: great idea! Not as many points as the scuba board, but that's a handy tip. I usually just tell myself "I'll remember it in the morning...". Yeah right. ;)

Ryan Waldron · 3 years ago

So would you call this 'idearrhea'? Nah, probably not. :)

Ivan Minic · 3 years ago

Some nice ideas you got there ;)

Josiah · 3 years ago

The hardbound, sewn, 3x5 mini-notebooks with a band closure work best:
Rugged, small enough for the pocket, everything's together, not deciduous, no detritus.
Slivine topbound is the best, but Moleskine or Poche de Carnet are OK too.

Roland · 3 years ago

Great points. As for #1, I am addicted to my Treo 650. I carry it everywhere, 24/7, even when mowing the lawn. I keep it by my bed so when I wake up at 3am worry about something, I quickly enter notes into my ToDo list and go back to sleep. Pre-Treo, I used to scribble notes on Post-Its and that got to be annoying after awhile.

Shloky · 3 years ago

You touched on it, but reviewing these notes is as important as getting them down. I keep a handy dandy little notebook and pen in back pocket all day, and every night get everything I wrote into a wiki and then start anew. I get to go over it again, sleep on it, and get my data in a format that allows for it to be manipulated in every which way (outlook tasks, goals, w/e).

Oahawhool · 3 years ago

Very good!

Brook Stone · 3 years ago

The best way to download and manage ideas from your mind is Mindjet's MindManager software. It goes a step further by allowing you to organize your ideas and assign dates and resources for your tasks. www.mindjet.com

Ben · 3 years ago

This is one of the best posts I have ever read. I do my best thinking - without fail - on the elliptical at 6:30am, also known as perhaps the least conducive situation during which to record ideas.
I'd also like to second the voice recorder suggestion as an alternative to #1, and the name idearrhea. Well played.

Joy · 3 years ago

Good idea with an unfortunately repellant title.

motherduce · 3 years ago

Excellent article. I have a Moleskine, and when I have it with me, it's great. Unfortunately, I don't always have it with me. I wonder how many millions of dollars I have forsaken simply because I didn't write down my idea!

I need the scuba board - that's a GREAT addition - I often come up with great ideas in the shower or bath, when my mind is as far from work/creativity as possible. Maybe I can find a shower radio that has a voice recorder? Anyone?

geminica · 3 years ago

I've been reading Barbara Sher's Refuse to Choose. She talks about having a dedicated "idea journal" and using it to flesh out ideas whether or not they immediately seem viable. She makes the point that the idea should be explored even if it doesn't immediately seem like something you would ever really do, because exploring ideas is actually the way people like us have fun. Wow - it's true!

Daniel Schutzsmith · 3 years ago

Thanks for the great overview of your process. I've been following something similar but seeing how you do it has answered some questions I've had about how effective I could truly be with my "dump". Keep on rocking!

VM · 3 years ago

Good post. Title could have been made attractive.

bublik · 2 years ago

Adam Kayce : Monk At Work · 2 years ago

One thing I use for my dumping sessions (that I'm surprised hasn't been mentioned) is what's formally known as mindmapping.

Rather than just list out all your ideas, sketch them. Put them in bubbles, and draw forks radiating out with all the ideas that are related to the main idea in the bubble.

(There can be a lot more to it than that, but you get the idea...)

I find it much easier to make sense of my dumps (ahem) later on if I've mapped them, as opposed to just writing lines of text.

It's like instant recall when you see the picture, the layout, and then start reading your notes.

glen · 2 years ago

I agree, visualizing your thoughts can sometimes lead to better results. That's why I like using a pen and paper when I'm doing some hot-n-heavy core dumping. Just letting it all go without any restrictions of software, etc. to get in the way.

Adam Kayce : Monk At Work · 2 years ago

Just something I came across yesterday... http://bubbl.us . Free on-line mindmapping. Very easy. Fun, too.

Ideaguy · 2 years ago

Something I use for my idea dumping and organizing my ideas...http://www.managemyideas.com . Great for quickly listing ideas and then developing them when I get the time.

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Keerthi · 2 years ago

Great post. I too have been writing down: almost for a decade on my mobile phone using the voice recording feature. But despite sharing the tip with friends, not many have adopted todate. So I wish to add, with modern phones the process of capturing ideas become very easy. Record it.

Anker · 2 years ago

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