The first and best tip I can offer to anyone wanting to be more creative and innovative is to start carrying an 'Idea Journal'… Something to write your ideas on 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.

This could take any form, ranging from 3×5 cards tucked into a pocket or purse, to a computer-based system. No matter which system you choose, the secret is selecting something you can keep with you at all times that allows you to quickly write down thoughts whenever they come to mind.

An ‘Idea Journal’ will accomplish a few of things for you…



FIRST…

It’s going to allow you to capture the things you think, hear, see, learn, and all sorts of raw material for ideas.

Using an ‘Idea Journal’ will re-wire your senses to be more receptive to information you may have previously overlooked. These notes are building blocks for new ideas. After you’ve written them, review your notes at a later time. Write a specific challenge in your journal and let it just sit there and incubate. After a few days, come back to that problem and see what answers you have hatched in your mind.



SECOND…

You can write and store important notes to free-up brainpower. Since you’ll always have your journal with you, you’ll always have your important lists as well. Remembering lists and random thoughts uses valuable brain RAM. Just like an application on your computer running in the background, it can cause the other apps to be sluggish. Your brain is processing “I’ve got to bring home a dozen eggs, a gallon of milk, and a stick of butter,” when it could be working on something more critical. Write it down in your journal.



FINALLY…

Your journal will come in handy to capture and recall a phone number, book title, website, or other reminders. You will no longer need to frantically pat yourself down or hope to find an old receipt in your wallet.

So, which tool is best? Whatever is best for your style. Perhaps a planner can work as your single tool, or maybe you need to add something new. There is something in the idea, if you want to think different, act different.



SUGGESTIONS

Here are thoughts from personal experience…

• Use permanent ink or pencil… something that won’t wash away if your Idea Journal gets wet.


• Use something as accessible as possible. As excited as I was to have a Tablet PC… It isn’t convenient if you need to jot something down, say, in a restaurant with your family. You won’t want to use it in the rain, and sometimes the 20 seconds it takes to wake from hibernation-mode is enough to lose that great idea nugget forever.


• What do I use? My tool lately has been the pocket Moleskine sketchbook. I use the larger sketchbook when I’m working on a specific project and need more space. There are no lines, which allows free-range writing, and the pages are think enough not to allow ink to bleed.


No matter which format you select, if you stick with it, I guarantee you will impress yourself with the thoughts you capture and the new ideas that are sparked!



REACTIONS?

Do you use some form of Idea Journal now? How is it working? If you start an Idea Journal… Please share your experience! Questions or reactions? Please leave them in the comments section.



Cover image and top image from Shutterstock.




This is a cross-post from Idea Sandbox Brainstorming Sandblog.





Paul WIlliams. Founder of Idea Sandbox. Brainstormer. Creative Problem Solver. Retail Marketing CrackerJack. Writer.