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It was
just a drop-dead great idea. You may have been driving, brushing your
teeth or shoveling in your lima beans, but your mind just uncorked the best
idea you have had in years. At your moment of illumination you said
to yourself, “Wow, I have to remember that!”
Has your
great idea taken a number in your brain's black hole?
If you
are serious about putting a cork in your brain drain, here are 10 practical
suggestions to stop this hemorrhaging of your big ideas.
First,
keep sticky notes next to your bed, in the bathroom, around the kitchen and
in the garage. These are the places where your brain kicks back and
you start to remove the concrete walls that stifle creativity.
The
convenient quality of sticky notes is you can write the idea on the
“sticky” and then adhere it to a wall, a mirror, a faucet or refrigerator
door and then resume what you were doing.
Second,
use a micro-cassette recorder when driving. Your automobile,
especially when going to work, is a mental incubation chamber. At a
subconscious level you are preparing yourself for the tasks of the
day. You can count on it, you will do problem-solving in the car and
then the solution will collide with your conscious brain.
I
strongly recommend you do not try to write down anything (why do they sell
those suction cup note pads that adhere to your windshield?) while driving
at 70 mph. The micro-cassette in the center console of your car is a
safe, efficient way to make sure you can recall your stupendous idea.
Third,
journal at the end of each work day. Go home and get out paper and
pen or boot up your computer and just allow the stream of consciousness to
fill the page or screen. You will discover, over a minimum of three months,
that nestled within your prose are some marvelous ideas.
Fourth,
carry 3X5 inch note cards throughout your day. When you get a thought
worth reviewing, just write it down and keep adding these ideas to a stack
you have been collecting either at home or your workplace. At a later
time, spread out all your ideas and you will be impressed with the treasure
trove of creativity you have generated.
Fifth,
call your personal answering machine or your voicemail. Leave
yourself this “big idea” and, have a little fun in the process. After
the new thought, why not sign off with, “Hey, Cal, looking good today…like
the way you are wearing your hair today.”
Sixth,
if you have a pen but no paper, record your idea on your palm. Does
anyone remember doing this as a teenager in Geometry I class? When
you were not enthralled with algorithms, you may have sent a message to the
person behind you by writing something pithy on your palm. This is
still the best idea when you want to retrieve an idea.
Seventh,
use the note-taking feature of your cell phone. Most cell phones give
you the option of texting. Why not text your whopper idea to yourself
or someone acquainted with your fits of genius?
Eighth,
when without a pen or paper, use dust, blood, charcoal, steam, etc.
One of the participants in my workshops told me he was marooned in a long
traffic jam and noticed it had been a while since he had cleaned the
interior of his car. He had a great idea on how to save money and
time in his department at work and proceeded to jot down his brain spasm
using his index finger on the dashboard dust!
Ninth,
if you are stuck for the right words, draw a picture of your idea.
Words sometimes can be the shackles for genius.
Tenth,
and take this to the bank, tell a child. Does anyone out there hope
children forget what they saw or heard? If you tell a child your
idea, he/she will resurrect this moment of genius in a nanosecond.
Your
great ideas never become great unless…you can remember them.
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