Not to sound crass or to tarnish this blogs reputation (what reputation??) with toilet humour but my light bulb starting flashing on this topic while I attempted productive pooping and I got thinking about the best way to capture ideas at inopportune times.
Ideas can strike at any time and quite often you won’t be ready for them.
I’ve lost count of the number of ideas that have been lost into the abyss that is my mind because it wasn’t convenient for me to get them down. When I did remember then, it wasn’t quite the same idea as it was when I first brainstormed it.
If you’ve been caught out by inopportune light bulb moments, I have a few ideas that might help.
Why ideas come when you least expect them
In England, we call it Sod’s Law, but you might know it better as Murphy’s Law. In essence, the law states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. It’s used sarcastically for the most part but in relation to our problem it’s kind of true.
If ideas can strike at the wrong time then they will. Mathematically, since there is a probability that you will at some point have a good idea (this is, as yet, unproven on Leash Optional) then it is safe to assume that it will happen at the wrong time.
Murphy’s Law aside, there is another reason why we seem to have our best ideas when they just aren’t expected:
You’re not thinking.
It can be difficult or nigh on impossible to force yourself to have a great idea. For me it’s often a waste of energy. If I’m not inspired to write something, say something or do something then no amount of force on my part will change that. Almost every great idea I’ve ever had (two out of the three) has come when I have been doing something for pleasure. Walking, running, lifting weights, having a nap or just relaxing my mind.
I’ve developed my own system for dealing with inopportune ideas which has helped me to not only remember the essence of the idea, but also to keep it almost completely preserved for when I have time to flesh it out.
The Unleashed Inopportune Idea Catching System
Okay, so it’s not really a system, but this is what works for me. Use the parts you like, get rid of the bits you don’t, add your own to it and create your perfect way for remembering ideas regardless of when they strike you.
- Take a notebook with you everywhere. I’m sure you’ve all heard of this one before but it’s worth repeating. Carry a notepad with you wherever you go. Have one by your bedside table too. A lot of ideas come at night. The notebook is an essential part of my process because it is the easiest way to do a brain dump right away. If you don’t want to carry a notebook everywhere, use the notes or memo function on your phone.
- Brain dump your idea. When your idea comes just take a few minutes to get everything you can think of about the idea written down. If it’s an article idea for example, you might know what the first couple of paragraphs are going to look like. Write it down and do take your time with this one because the more detail you put in, the more you will remember later.
- Write down the feeling or buzz words. How do you want the idea to be? You must have a feel for the idea and any buzz words you can think of to get you back into that state of mind when you have the time later to flesh it out. If it were a blog post for example is the article going to be funny? Sarcastic? Pessimistic? Realistic? Analytical? Is it a personal story or a metaphor for something else? Getting all this down now means less thinking for you later.
- Instantly forget the idea! This is the most important part of the entire process. You have to consciously think about something else or do something else right away. If you sit and think about your idea all day then you are going to start fleshing it out in your head. You won’t have time all day to keep adding to your notebook because that would mean not doing what you are supposed to be doing. If you flesh it out but can’t jot down the thoughts, the idea will be diluted when you come to revisit it later. You’ll be annoyed that it sounded better in your head during the day and it will probably fizzle out. Forget it and rely on your notes to help you get it back later.
- Find your idea zen. When you get back to your notes and you have time to sit down and write that post or research that new business venture, take a few moments to relax your mind. Remove outside stresses such as music and TV and just read your notes. Immerse yourself in the feelings or the buzz words and recapture how you felt at the time. How did the idea feel in your mind? One you have a clear picture of the idea you can start to write or type it all out and your idea will begin to take form in more or less the same form as the original idea.
It takes some time to train yourself to remember the details of the idea accurately and even then, some of it may get lost in translation along the way. The important thing to remember is not to let the idea sizzle in your mind all day.
I’d rather have a medium rare steak than try to chew through an overcooked slab of leather, wouldn’t you?
How do you deal with inopportune brainwaves? I find this quite an interesting topic and so would love your comments below. 
I now have a notebook, or I’ll text myself or save a note on my cell phone
Right on man!!
I have a blackberry curve, and I use the “notes” application on it to save my ideas. It’s full of posts and ideas, even for products and services.
I agree wholeheartedly.
Ditto.
I gave you the Sunshine Award! Check it out on Writers Addict.
I always get my best ideas at work and usually forget them by the time I get home. I have been know to take notes on my phone!
I always had ideas popping out during inopportune times. And I only had one gadget to catch it: my cellphone! When ideas come I activate the voice recorder of my cellphone and dictate the ideas. Very, very convenient.
Most of my ideas comes when Im taking a walk. I usually end up sending myself multiple reminders to be read at a later date in the fear I might forget something. Unfortunately, a notepad doesn’t work that well while walking
Personally I jot stuff down in my notepad on my phone if I’m away from my computer, which sometimes is the case but very rarely. If I’m at my computer then it’s easy but sometimes annoying because I’ll be in the middle of something and all of a sudden an idea strikes me and I have to quit what I was doing to type whatever comes to mind out in a document.
Why don’t I like this?
Because I really want to do more than just write articles all the time for my blog. I love writing articles but when I’m in the middle of a movie or something and an idea comes, I get it written and then I’m not really feeling the movie any more so it’s kind of ruined.
Any advice on this? Does this happen to anyone else?
Write it down! Write it down! Text it to yourself! Phone yourself and leave a message!
Never assume an idea will just come back to you – it truly and honestly won’t. You need to capture somewhere away from your primitive brain.
I do this a lot, with an extra job I was assigned to my normal duties it requires me to have a notepad. The only drawback to that is I use it all of the time and I FORGET to put it back in my pocket. So when the idea strikes me I will forget it because I forgot my notepad.
So my solution to this madness is since I have very good situational memory I will relate my idea to what I am doing at the time and later remember back to that point in the day. I will remember what I did physically up until it sparks my light bulb again. This works for me because that is how I am physically built. May not for another tho.
Great post!
I’m straight up obsessed with carrying my notebook everywhere. But now, I’ve also got a backup system which involves stealing obnoxious amounts of bank deposit slips, keeping them in my center console in the car with several pens, and then using them to write down random ideas that come to me as I’m driving (because, dammit, it always happens when I’m driving. Clearly THE MOST INOPPORTUNE, considering my life is at danger. Oh, what I sacrifice for the blog!) Now I’ve got these stupid little white slips of paper poking out of every little pocket of every little purse…but seriously, my blog would be blank without them.
This is hilarious. If you’re ever in the UK, me may end the universe if our weirdness crosses paths!
Great post, rings so true to me! I have ideas that bombard me at all times and have to distill them down to what I can really actionably do.
I jot things down too. Unfortunately, I also understand how sometimes good ideas get stolen by those who make more money and who like your idea but don’t want to have to put in the work to get the results.
So I don’t jot most of my ideas down on my blog anymore. I keep those things to myself.
Great post btw!
Some of my best ideas seem to come at night, especially when I’m just about asleep. I’ve always wondered why it seems to be that way for me and a lot of other people. Any ideas on that?
Best thing probably is some kind of voice recording to get your drowsy thoughts verbalised before you sleep and forget them!
I LOVE IT! I am ALWAYS looking for random pieces of paper to write ideas: napkins, the label of a bottle of water… you name it! Hahaha! Sometimes I use a small mp3 recorder (this is way cooler because you can safely use it while driving ^_^)
“Writing the feel for the idea and any buzz words” is something that I’m definitely going to add. Thank you Ian for your tips.
What I also do is to write how the idea came to me, meaning, what was the train of thought that brought me to the idea.
Thank you Ian!!!! V
Hey V, nice addition to the idea there. I’ll have to start noting how I got the idea and what my train of thought was!
Vuelves pronto, por favor?
Hi Ian,
Indeed. Write it down, write it down. I carry my notebook around with me most places but when I don’t I make a note on my iphone or use Evernote to capture a note, particularly if it goes with something I have seen.
Adrian
Wonderful tips, Ian. In addition to what you posted, I also think it would help if an individual tries to record his ideas in a voice recorder. I think it would help a person remember his ideas if there he can hear his ideas from his own voice.