My thoughts have gone downriver again, unencumbered by any sort of tether. You see, sometimes when I am just beginning to wake up, and am in that space between deep sleep and full consciousness, my thoughts take shape lazily-as though they are just outside of myself-and form much like an eddy in a stream. I marvel at how brightly they sparkle, as the sun reflects off all the wonderfully and finely crafted points. If I don’t reach out my hand to gently scoop them out of the water right at that moment, they will float gently onward, twirling and swirling away, gradually breaking up into much smaller bits, until finally, that crystallized thought is no more.
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Have you ever experienced that moment of clarity when you suddenly have the answer to a problem you have been seeking or an idea for the best gift, blog post, letter or whatever has been on your mind?
Perhaps your experience is more like the example above, where your thoughts form gently in the morning as you awaken, without the aid of an alarm or a child poking you in your ear and your cheek and your shoulder, whispering loudly, “Mommy! Mommy! Are you awake?”
Wait, just wait, dear readers. I have a message for those of you with youngsters still in the house: I can hear you guffawing in disbelief that you will actually enjoy the experience of an uninterrupted thought one day. Keep the faith. You will.
More likely, when you have your epiphany, you are busy putting away groceries, separating argumentative siblings, or making plans for a “Calgon take me away” tubbie that does not include the children.
There are some simple solutions for you to hold onto those thoughts and ideas that don’t involve the use of lipstick and the forearm of the child standing closest to you.
A low-tech idea is to keep a small notebook and pen handy wherever you are, or keep several, such as one in your purse, in the kitchen, in the bathroom and on your nightstand. These will be a blessing for capturing those stray thoughts that are as important to tame as your morning bed hair. Just make a point of gathering those notes regularly wherever they will be meaningful for you.
Another handy way to gather the ideas is to purchase a small voice recorder, and keep it with you. Just record your thoughts, grocery items, etc, and then later gather them as noted above.
A simple, all-inclusive system is to use your mobile device, such as a smartphone, into which you can download an application for information gathering. Evernote is a slick software that will save notes, images, websites, and will also allow for voice recorded files. It is a very powerful way to save information, and it also allows for easy retrieval via a well-designed search function. Their site is loaded with great tutorials as well as stories from users who explain what they enjoy about Evernote, including how they use it to shop to how it helps them remember where they parked.
Although I am a chronic pen and paper list-maker (notepads in many places), I do use Evernote on my Mac and love how it keeps such a variety of information so incredibly handy. I highly recommend it.
So, there you have it. Different solutions to the age-old problem of “Oh, bother! What was that good idea I just had?”.
Simplify your life by putting one of these ideas into practice today, and enjoy the fruits of more organized living.
Share in the comments what methods or tools you use to keep your thoughts organized and handily available.
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