Ideas Are Darn Slippery!

by Michael Good Posted on May 22, 2012

Ideas are slippery little things, they escape from your mind like a wet bar of soap squirts out of your hand. They will come and go much like a summer thunderstorm.

Capture them! Write them down! All it takes is one idea, one way of making something work. Jim Rohn says “Ideas can be life-changing. Sometimes all you need to open the door is just one more good idea.”

Sure, it takes action and implementation and you can’t act on every one. But, it’s like brainstorming; more is better.

I put my ideas in what I like to call an idea bank. This way, I won’t forget them and I can look over them and see which ones are still relevant and which one I want to act on next. This process, by the way, generates even more ideas. The idea bank yields interest!

The method doesn’t matter. You write them in a little book you keep in your pocket, put them on a Google Doc, Evernote, or shoot yourself an email or from your smart phone.

I will often send myself a text from my phone and then later that day transfer them into a Google Doc. I have separate documents for business, blog, and general.

Question: Do you have a system in place to capture your ideas? What is it?

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  • Ann Musico

    I love how you called it an “idea bank” and that it yields interest! I always seem to do best with physically writing things down and the most exciting thing I can think of is having a beautiful, clean, new notebook and deciding what I’m going to write in it! (I know – I’m strange!) So I keep a notebook.

    • http://cindyhirch.com/ Cindy Hirch

      Ann. – I’m laughing at your comment on the notebook. I can relate. I think its your age. Did you notice I said “your” age? LOL

      • Ann Musico

        I did notice that – If it wasn’t so true I’d be tempted to be offended! Lol

        • http://cindyhirch.com/ Cindy Hirch

          In all seriousness, whatever method works best to get the juices flowing is the key.-:)

    • http://rise365.com/ Michael Good

      I understand this too, Ann. Sometimes I’ll physically write things down too.

      I have a physical (not online) planner which I love! And, I’ll write out my daily game plan with a pen and paper.

      • Ann Musico

        I’m lost without my planner!

        • http://rise365.com/ Michael Good

          Me too! I tried Google calendar for a while, but Claudia convinced my to get a physical one. Glad I did!

  • http://cindyhirch.com/ Cindy Hirch

    Michael – My idea bank is usually kept in a mini notepad in my pocket, along with a pen, as I walk the trails. Most of the time my ideas are inspired in that setting without the distraction of a ringing cell phone -:)

    • http://rise365.com/ Michael Good

      Love it, Cindy. Keeping it simple.

  • http://www.onesolutionfor.me/ Trey Smith

    So true Michael – I have multiple idea banks in place. I use Evernote, Notes & voice memo in iPhone, pen and pad of paper on my nightstand and in my car, and a grease pencil in the shower to write on the wall tile. Ideas are slippery and I am eager to see what others are doing to capture their ideas.

    • http://rise365.com/ Michael Good

      Trey,
      Love the grease pen in the shower idea. Might have to implement that!

      I haven’t dove into Evernote but I keep hears folks talk about it.

  • http://www.trailreflections.com/ Chris Peek

    I’ve gotten better about writing ideas down, but I don’t have a good system in place. I typically text or write down blog topic ideas while I’m out on a trail or driving. That’s where a lot of my ideas hit me.

    • http://rise365.com/ Michael Good

      Sounds good, Chris. At least you’re capturing them.

  • http://www.180coach.com/ Rob Clinton

    Great tips on capturing your ideas.. I love how you said that ideas yield interest! So true… Many times I have an idea that builds into another one. The system I use is a basic pocket book, I write them down and review them… I also keep a notebook by the bed… My phone is also a great tool I use to text or e-mail myself when something comes up… Sounds like we think alike here; sweet! Let’s keep capturing those ideas so they don’t get away from us.

    • http://rise365.com/ Michael Good

      Absolutely, Rob! Sounds great.

  • crystalmgood

    Ideas are slippery!! I often find my mind full of them late at night, but I am too tired to properly process, so i crawl out of bed, turn the lamp on, write them down and then fall restfully asleep :) i try to hang out to every idea, because the are so easily forgotten!

    • http://rise365.com/ Michael Good

      Good work Crystal! :) Who gave you the idea of writing them down, or have you always done that?

      • crystalmgood

        I’m not sure where I got the idea to write them down. I make lists for everything, so I think I just got into the habit of jotting things down when they’re on my mind. Maybe I got that from Mom, she always had notes and lists everywhere!

        • http://rise365.com/ Michael Good

          Yes, she did! Very cool.

  • http://daddydifference.com/ Ryan Ash

    I don’t, Michael, but I can certainly see the value in doing this. Thanks for the suggestion…now I’ve got to find a way to implement that works for me.

    • http://rise365.com/ Michael Good

      Haha, right! That’s the hard part. But we can’t implement everything and that’s OK. I think the ideas are still good to have. The feed other ideas and creativity.

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  • http://danhefferan.com/ Dan Hefferan

    I’m going to be that guy that comments on an old post.

    Ideas are interesting things to me. and I do whatever I can to write them down, but i’m really schizophrenic about the way i write it down.
    I love journals, but I’m about the worst person at keeping one consistently.

    I’ll use evernote, but that tends to just be for voice recordings (cars are GOLD for idea generation)

    I think my ideal thing is a small pocket notebook or something called the hipster PDA:: a stack of notecards held together with a paperclip :)

    • http://rise365.com/ Michael Good

      A hipster PDA, love it, Dan! You use what works best for you – or just what seems the coolest. ;)