Keep an idea journal. For your stories, for your blog or podcast, for your business, for your personal development, keep an idea journal. It’ll help you in more ways than you might expect.

I myself have a text file on my computer. Some people use a little notepad or a PDA. Whenever an idea occurs to me, often while listening to podcasts, add it to the list. Sometimes the idea comes to me while I’m taking my walk or quietly thinking in the morning. Then I have to run to my computer and type it in before it overwhelms me. Because if I don’t, and if it’s a good idea, it’ll dominate my mind such that I can’t think of anything else.

Numerous ideas occur to me each day. With them all on my mind, I’d never get anything done. Alternatively, if I focus on each to completion, I’d forget what the next one was before I got to it. Writing an idea down gets it out of my head so that I can focus on one thing at a time. When I’m ready for the next best idea, I go to my journal.

-TimK