As I’m working, I tend to think of something else that I need to do. If I don’t do it right then, it’s easy to forget. But by doing that task right then I lose the momentum on the current task.

Enter the notes. I jot down the idea I had or the to-do item for later. It keeps me from veering off in another direction, suddenly realizing I’m ten minutes into a completely different task. Because then I’ve lost track of what I was originally doing. So the notes actually help keep me focused. That’s a good thing!

Unfortunately, I’m starting to get a stack of little papers in front of my monitor. And with a child who is almost tall enough to reach them and who has a penchant for ripping and shredding paper, I risk losing track of those ideas.

I need to bring back my notebook. I have plenty of blank notebooks, so it’s time to return to a better system. I can capture all of my ideas, notes and lists all in one place, refer back to it when needed, and even take it with me. As long as I don’t lose the notebook (or let the child get ahold of it) I’ll have my ideas with me. And it beats searching my desk for that ‘one’ piece of paper I just know I have there somewhere. Or leaving said piece of paper in the office when I really needed it on the road.

I’ll still keep the tear-off calendar. I like having the day’s date right in front of me. And the pieces of paper are great for quick calculations on something that I won’t need to save for later. But if it’s anything I think I’ll need later, it’s best to capture it somewhere else.

Do you need to grab an idea before it disappears? Do you find yourself getting distracted by those ideas, losing momentum on what you should be doing? What’s working for you?

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Post from: My Organized Biz

Celine, over at Pimp Your Work, talks about MindMeister as a good tool to try. It’s online, you can share with others, and you can see changes in real time. And it offers a free trial.

I bought NovaMind a couple of years ago and have been using it. Er, I was when I was still in school, as it was helpful for brainstorming projects. I should start using it again for writing. There’s something about following a crazy tangent in a mind map that can spark some really great ideas.

You could even use a mind map to get organized. How? Try listing all the things that you could organize, and then any ways to accomplish it. Just toss out whatever pops into your head. Don’t censor yourself. Just write down everything. Do it with software, or with a pen and paper.

When you’re done, take a look at the list you’ve generated. There are probably some ideas that you can run with right now (like clearing your desk) and some that will take more time (like setting up a filing system). See what storage ideas you can come up with based on what you already have on hand.

The point is to try some old tools in a new way. Shake things up a bit. Approach a problem from a new angle. You just may get inspired with a terrific idea to help you be more organized and productive. What unusual or new ideas have helped you break the organizational rut?

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Post from: My Organized Biz