A good idea is not of any use if you can’t find it.
Logan Heftely
We’ve all been there. A brilliant idea strikes in the shower, during a run, or in the middle of a conversation. It’s a spark of genius, a solution to a problem, or an insight that could change everything. But then, hours or days later, when we try to recall that idea… it’s gone.
Ideas are fleeting. They come and go like waves on a beach. And just like those waves, if we don’t capture them, they recede into the ocean of our subconscious. So, how can we ensure that we capture our good ideas and retrieve them when needed?
Capture Your Ideas
First, we need to get into the habit of capturing our ideas. This could be as simple as carrying a small notebook or using a note-taking app on your phone. The key is to write down your ideas as soon as they come to you, no matter how insignificant they may seem. Remember, an idea not captured is an idea lost.
Organize Your Ideas
Next, we need to organize our ideas. This could mean categorizing them by topic, project, or any other system that makes sense to you. The goal is to create a system where you can easily find your ideas when needed.
Review Your Ideas
Finally, make it a habit to review your ideas regularly. This could be once a week, once a month, or whatever frequency works for you. Reviewing your ideas helps you remember them and allows you to see connections between ideas you might not have noticed before.
Ideas are the seeds of innovation, creativity, and change. By capturing, organizing, and reviewing your ideas, you ensure that no good idea goes to waste. After all, a good idea is only as valuable as our ability to find it.
Explore More
If you enjoyed this and want to dive deeper into the topic, here are some additional resources you might find interesting:
- 📚 Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide” by John Cleese emphasizes the importance of tapping into our subconscious thoughts for ideas, which can then be consciously and analytically developed. The book underscores the value of patience, playfulness, and the ability to tolerate ambiguity in the creative process, highlighting that creativity often involves exploring unknown avenues, making ‘mistakes’, and iterating between different modes of thinking, much like the process of capturing, organizing, and reviewing ideas.
- 📚 Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon is a guide that encourages readers to embrace influence, remix ideas, and discover their own creative path by starting to create things even before they know who they are. The book emphasizes that creativity is not about originality but about authentically incorporating and transforming what has come before, much like the process of capturing and developing fleeting ideas.
- 📚 One Plus One Equals Three by Dave Trott is a collection of anecdotes and stories that challenge conventional thinking and inspire creativity. The book emphasizes the importance of thinking outside the box and embracing unconventional ideas to achieve extraordinary results. This concept can be applied to various fields, including business, marketing, and everyday life.