Organize your ideas

Your ideas are important, and should be kept organized. Rosabeth Moss Kanter, American business speaker and consultant said, "To stay ahead, you must have your next idea waiting in the wings." So where are the "wings" where you keep your ideas waiting?

Ideas don't always happen at convenient times. While my wife and I were eating out last week, our conversation sparked several ideas for blog posts. I knew I would not remember them later, so I borrowed a pen and piece of paper from my wife so I could jot them down. But I tend to lose pieces of paper easily, or find them in my coat pocket a few days after I needed the idea. So as soon as we got home, I opened up my Google Docs and Spreadsheets where I keep spreadsheets for various lists of ideas. There I transferred my paper notes to the appropriate idea list.

To organize ideas in a spreadsheet, I use several columns.

1. The date I enter the idea.
2. The idea itself.
3. A "priority" assignment.
4. Any links I might make.
5. The date I actually use the idea.

The "priority" assignment can be a simple 1, 2, 3... The ones are those that are most important and need to be done first. Twos are those that can wait a little yet. Threes are those which need some research and can be developed later on. Or you can use A,B,C... Or you might try G,B,U (Good, Bad, Ugly). Whatever works!

If you are like me, you've lost a lot of ideas because you couldn't remember them later on when you needed them. So in order to "keep them in the wings," organize them. Keep track of them with a method with which you are most comfortable so you'll be able to find them when you need them. Pieces of paper can work if you don't lose them. Sticky notes can work if they don't fall off and get swept away. A notebook is good if you always keep it where you can find it. I prefer spreadsheets, because I know where to find them. Just be sure you give the spreadsheet a name you will remember, and store it in a folder you can easily find. Organize your good ideas so you can stay ahead by having ideas in the wings.


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