Write It Down

Man Writing It Down
Have you ever decided to go to the grocery store to purchase a few things that you really needed without creating a shopping list first? While at the store, you might purchase a number of other items; however, when you returned home, you realized that you forgot to pick-up one of the core items.

The human mind is really something amazing! So far, no computer is even close to duplicating it’s breadth of complex functions. Although our minds can do many things, here are four primary tasks:

  • Data Analyzer
  • Choice Engine
  • Idea Generator
  • Memory Filing Cabinet

The human mind is excellent at examining information, making decisions, and developing concepts; however, it is imperfect as a storage and retrieval system. This is obvious as everyone has experienced times when we have been unable to recall ideas, events, appointments, names, etc. In other words, on occasion, people forget!

The solution is to write it down (or, type it out). You would not try to carry water in a leaky bucket all day, so do not attempt to manage your thoughts with just your brain. Keep your thoughts, plans, and deadlines all recorded elsewhere. Of course, this includes goals, projects, and tasks, but it does not stop there. Everyone has literally thousands of thoughts per day. While many are mundane or trivial, some are exciting, ponderous, and worthy of more attention. Capture these!

Dr. Linus Pauling once said that “the best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas.” I agree; however, the other crucial step in this process is to write them down. To be more productive, you must begin a habit of transferring your ideas from your head to a central location (daily planner, spreadsheet, journal, etc.) for later review.