Tracking 60,000 thoughts

Whoah… that guy’s gorgeous. I wonder if he’s single.

Wonder what I’ll have for dinner.

I’d love to fly to Hawaii.

What if I had said no, would it have made a difference?

What are you thinking right now?

It is estimated that each person thinks 50,000 - 60,000 thoughts a day. There have been no concrete studies yet to quantify this but some say the figure could be higher.

Whether you’re a writer or a blogger, I’m sure thousands of thoughts and ideas for articles or posts zip through your mind at any given time.

Have you ever had those moments when you had this brilliant idea only to forget about it a few minutes later?

I used to experience this a lot before. And it could be pretty frustrating as I rummage through my brain for the lost idea.

Surely it would be crazy to monitor each of our 60,000 thoughts so how do we keep track of the most important ones?

I like to use idea catchers.

I’ve mentioned about my notebook addiction before and how I like to compartmentalize my thoughts and notes into different notebooks.

But since I became a Moleskine convert, I now use just two notebooks: a large plain Moleskine journal for my longer and more in depth reflections and a pocket-size plain journal for my random thoughts and ideas.

Whenever an idea hits me, I jot it down on my little journal. Whether it’s a word, a phrase, a question, or a quote, I just write it down in such a way that it would trigger my memory when I read it again.

Oftentimes, when I’m on fire for an idea, I just continue scribbling in bulleted phrases so I can keep my ideas intact.

At the end of the day, I review my notes and scribbles and, when I feel like taking an idea even further, I write about it in my journal.

At times, when I’m in transit and I can’t write in my idea catcher, I reach for the next best thing: the notes function in my cellphone. And then the moment I can settle down to a chair, I transfer the notes to my notebook.

What if I have absolutely nothing at hand? Well, I just hold the thought as best as I could but when it slips away, I just let it go.

Oftentimes, I find that a good idea can be really sticky and it’s only when the best idea comes along that it dislodges from my head.

If you want to keep track of your important thoughts, try to use an idea catcher. it doesn’t matter if it’s a moleskine or a notepad from the corner store, just use whatever works for you. The important thing is you devise a way to capture your thoughts so that you can retrieve them whenever you want.

Remember that the most brilliant creations in this world started with a simple thought or idea.

Who knows one of your ideas may just be the next big thing.

Photo credit: darling.clandestine

Posted in: Writing

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This entry was posted on Friday, May 16th, 2008 at 11:40 am and is filed under Writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

7 Responses to “Tracking 60,000 thoughts”

kengkay (23 comments.) May 16th, 2008 at 1:58 pm

sometimes i use table napkins, too- and i tend to have a notepad and a pen ready when am in bed lalo na after waking up in a dream. i used to have notebooks, too but now i have blogs and my digi cam :D

kengkays last blog post..kengkay at lilay = EB

Table napkins are a great idea too. :) I read somewhere that it’s also good to keep a dream journal because it helps you understand more about yourself and your recurring thoughts.

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joanjoyce (58 comments.) May 16th, 2008 at 8:25 pm

i don’t write what i thought is brilliant on hope that I will remember it again, but after pregnancy I easily forgot what I had on my mind minutes ago so now I am blaming the anesthesia hehehe..

joanjoyces last blog post..Whitney Thompson: First “ANTM” Plus Size Winner

Haha… :lol: pregnancy also made me a bit forgetful that’s why notebooks are my bestfriends now more than ever.

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lionel (acid42) (1 comments.) May 17th, 2008 at 12:58 am

I use index cards and notebooks. Index cards (aka the Hipster PDA) are portable and friendly to use. One idea per card. Very useful if you have one near you upon waking up… capture those dreams which are always easy to forget!

BTW, found your blog via WP-Pinoys. :D

Hi Lionel! Thanks for hopping over to my blog. :) Tried using a Hipster PDA once but I grew tired of having to carry all those index cards. I’m really more of a notebook lover. Haven’t tried a “dream catcher” though. I’ll try that too. :)

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christine (4 comments.) May 17th, 2008 at 10:18 am

hello. i used to keep notes and use my mobile phone for my blog ideas.. but life happened. i got busy with work and my daughter and took a pause from blogging.

now, my blogging groove’s back and would like to keep notes again. thanks for the reminder. :)

christines last blog post..Are You Passionate or Driven?

Hi Christine! Glad to be of help. I actually resolved to write everyday in my idea notebook and journal but can’t quite keep the habit because like you, I also get caught up in work and family stuff. But I still try to write as much as I can. I find it’s a great way to start and end the day. :)

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giselle (3 comments.) May 18th, 2008 at 6:55 am

hi, jayme! i used to have a huge notebook on which to write down my ideas. got too busy and now i’ve settled for my cellphone as well. my thoughts now: i enjoy reading your blog! may i link you to my site? i’m asking ’cause i’m new at this and i’m not sure what the blog ethics are, haha. thanks!

giselles last blog post..My Bed Bugs Don’t Bite

Hi Giselle! Thanks for visiting my blog and I’m glad to know you enjoy reading it. :) It’s always nice to have new visitors. Thanks also for offering a link, I’ll link you as well. :D

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J. (9 comments.) May 18th, 2008 at 3:26 pm

I actually only started my blog when I started an idea notebook. It’s one of those funny Japanese ones with the adorable grammatical blunders (mine reads “I have a date at a roller rink today!”) Now, I can’t go without it. It’s a necessity. Otherwise, my ideas go to waste. Often, I find that I need to sort through a lot of so-so ideas for that one good spark. Without my notebook, I wouldn’t be able to do this! Glad you’re a notes hound like me! :)

J.s last blog post..Baking For The Season

What a coincidence! I also have one of those cute Japanese notebooks. I was hardly able to fill it though because I started using my Moleskine. The search for that “one good spark” can really be exciting. When you’ve got that “AHA!” moment, it can feel so rewarding. :D

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rach (17 comments.) May 18th, 2008 at 9:11 pm

yes! yes! it does happen to me :(

I just have these ideas - when I’m brushing my teeth or sometimes when I’m chopping, or just walking or whatever and I do lose track of them.

I think if I did track them baka mas marami pang laman ung blog ko now…

Also, I have A distraction - the internet! hahahhaha… It’s just that I know I want to update my blog for something but the next thing is I’m surfing the net, checking my Multiply, Facebook and Friendster accounts — haaay…

The notebook idea was something. I did that but then stopped.

Kelangan masimulan ko ulit!

rachs last blog post..Growing Tired

I understand what you mean. When I’m online, I end up surfing the net and reading blog feeds instead of writing a blog entry. Kaya what I do is, I just write down my blog post first, upload it on my blog and then that’s the only time I start surfing. Re-start your note-taking habit, it really does help. :)

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