Record your ideas - for fun and profit!

By Chuck Frey

The late Earl Nightingale once remarked: "Ideas are like slippery fish. Unless you gaffe them on the point of a pencil, they're likely to get away."

Think about the last time an idea flashed into your conscious mind -the so-called "a-ha!" experience of creative illumination. As quickly as this insight came to you, it probably slipped out of your mental grasp just as quickly, and returned to the murky depths of your mind.

What if you could capture these insights and make use of them? The results could be very rewarding and profitable, in all areas of your life. I've tried many methods of capturing elusive ideas; here are three that I've found several to be particularly effective:

A pocket-sized note pad: Several leather products firms offer a compact index card holder, in which you can keep a modest supply of blank 3x5 in. index cards. When you get an idea, simply jot it down. These cards seem to be the perfect size for jotting a brief note or diagram that captures the essence of a budding idea. To convert these ideas and thoughts into a more permanent form, simply sit down in front of your word processor once a week and type them into your journal or idea file.

A microcassette recorder: Several manufacturers make compact microcassette recorders not much bigger than the diminutive cassette itself. These tiny wonders are easy to carry along in your pocket. When inspiration strikes, dictate your idea onto the tape. You can then give the tape to your secretary or a transcription service for typing into digital form. Dictation may be the perfect medium for capturing "brain dumps" - those times when a tidal wave of ideas comes pouring out of your mind. While handwriting and typing force you to slow your brain down to the speed of your hands, you can easily dictate 120 words per minute. As a result, dictation tends to keep the creative "flow" going better than manual methods.

A Personal Digital Assistant: I use a Compaq iPaq, which fits easily into a pants pocket. Its rudimentary word processor enables me to digitally record my thoughts and ideas immediately, and then easily transfer them to my laptop PC, where they're added to my journal and idea files. Once there, I can use a key word search to quickly find just the idea "nuggets" I'm looking for. This simple set-up is much more effective than a paper-based system, which takes up more space and isn't easily searchable.

I urge you to try all three methods, to see which ones fit your personal creative style best. I use each of them, depending on where I am and what I'm doing. No matter what method or tool you use, however, be sure to record your ideas when they strike!

Over time, you'll be amazed at the gold mine of ideas you'll have at your fingertips, which you can further refine and develop into valuable, tangible solutions!

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Published on 9/6/2001

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