Great ideas come in strange places
If you are trying to grow your business, you are always looking for new ideas, new topics for articles, blogs, etc. But my guess is that you don’t always get your new ideas sitting at your computer or your desk? These ideas may hit you when you are driving, or in the mall, or in the shower.
Yes, I do get some really good ideas in the shower. I may be tossing around a simple idea in my head and then pop. I have an idea for a new article or product or something. Sometimes they come in clusters, where I may get 2 or 3 ideas off of that one thread.
The problem is when I get on the computer to work on my great idea, it’s gone. I lost it and I can’t remember what it was. So, I may try to go back to the bathroom or the place I had the idea and try to create it. Sometimes I get lucky. But other times, I just can’t remember what I was thinking about. So, I have to drop that idea for a while and hope it comes back. Sometimes it does, sometimes it is gone forever.
Has that ever happen to you? I am sure it has. Now, not every idea I have in the bathroom makes me money, but I hate to lose these ideas, because you never know what one is going to make you money.
So, I have come up with some ideas to help me remember and track these ideas when I get them.
- I keep post-it notes in various rooms around the house. When, I get an idea, I write it down with a few notes to remind me later. I may put it in my pocket, or leave it in the room for a while and then pick them up later when I am ready to work on them.
- You could carry a small spiral notepad that will fit in a shirt pocket or purse with you all the time. Make notes on this. This is probably a little old fashion for me, but may work for some.
- I have a PDA (personal digital assistant). I use the memopad feature of this device to make notes on my idea.
- If I don’t have my PDA with me, I usually have a phone. So, I can text a message to myself or send it to my email.
- Sometimes having a picture is helpful, so sometimes I have taken a picture of something with my camera phone. I can either keep it on the phone, or I can send the picture to my email account.
The key is to write it down and save it for later. Don’t assume that you can remember your idea. So, do a little planning so when you have an idea, you know how you are going to save it. Get some post-it notes or other paper to record your ideas and put this is various rooms or your car. Or use one of these electronic devices (PDA or cell phone) that you carry with you all the time. You never know when that little idea you had in the shower could be your next big check!
If you have other ideas on ways to collect and save ideas, I would love to hear about them.
