How many times have you had a great idea or answer to a question or problem pop into your mind, only to forget it shortly after? Chances are that many of these times you have even forgotten that you had the idea or answer, so you don’t even remember forgetting! How many times has a task, or something you needed to do, occupied your thoughts all day long until you got it done? To keep ideas or answers from slipping away, or to clear your mind so you can be more focused, write things down.

When ideas or answers just come to you, the subconscious mind released some information into your conscious mind. Most of the time, this is information you have been seeking whether you knew it or not. This occurs more frequently when you are sleeping since this is the time your conscious mind is most receptive to your subconscious mind. It is these times of “enlightenment” when some of your best ideas come about. Write them down or record them immediately. With today’s technology, digital recorders are as small as a pen and cost very little. This is often a better solution than a pen and paper since there are times such as when you are driving a car, when writing is not possible or just dangerous. Do not let these valuable ideas slip away. Brilliant ideas that lead to success are not always born in the boardroom, classroom, or office; they come to us at inconvenient times and in inconvenient places. These brilliant ideas stem from the genius within all of us. When it speaks to us, we should not only listen but be prepared to write it down as well.

Perhaps an even more important reason for writing things down is so your conscious mind can be free for more productive or relevant thought. All too often we dwell on something we need to do at some future time. We dwell on it because we do not want to forget about it. Doing this inhibits both our concentration and attention. Add the item on your daily planner or to do list and allow yourself to forget about it. Your time will be spent more productively and without the anxiety of a “to do” task following you around like a dark cloud.

Don’t let your “million dollar idea” be forgotten moments after it comes to you. Don’t allow your days to be spent thinking about what needs to be done at some future time. Whether you choose the old-fashioned pen and paper, or one of the high-tech recorders, recording ideas, answers, and things to do is a great habit of successful individuals.