1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 1: Today's tip is that if you get your best ideas 4 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: in the shower or another inconvenient location, you can find 5 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: a way to capture them. Time away from your computer 6 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 1: can be conducive to creative thinking, but you need a 7 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:33,519 Speaker 1: way to make sure your ideas can be acted on 8 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 1: when you find your way back to your computer. Many 9 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:41,839 Speaker 1: people have some of their best ideas while showering, driving, running, 10 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,880 Speaker 1: or doing some other task that is not intellectually demanding 11 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: and is not conducive to taking notes. This isn't just 12 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: the universe's way of tormenting us, though it can feel tormenting. 13 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 1: Creativity and innovation are more likely to happen when we 14 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 1: let our minds wander for a while, free from the 15 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 1: steady stream of words, numbers, and tasks to be done 16 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 1: that defines most of our days. But for your shower 17 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:13,959 Speaker 1: ideas to be more than just daydreams, you need to 18 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: find a way to capture them. And when you are 19 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 1: wet and soapy, or behind the wheel of a car 20 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 1: or dodging waves in the ocean, this is easier said 21 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 1: than done. I know there is a small market in 22 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:30,760 Speaker 1: waterproof notepads or bath crans. I guess the idea for 23 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: the non toddler set is that you could write your 24 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: brilliant idea on the shower wall. But you really don't 25 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 1: need to do that. You probably already have either the 26 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 1: physical or mental tools you need at your disposal to 27 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:44,959 Speaker 1: put your thoughts somewhere that you will be able to 28 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: act upon it. My guess is that you almost always 29 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: have your phone with you if you are out walking 30 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: or running, it's in your pocket. So when you get 31 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: a brilliant idea, pause and send yourself a quick email 32 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: with your idea as the subject line. It will be 33 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: there when you process your emails later. If you are 34 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:09,839 Speaker 1: stuck in traffic to the point where you can put 35 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: your car in park, then you could send yourself a 36 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: note this way too. But if not because you're moving 37 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:21,360 Speaker 1: some use your phone or your car's voice assistant. Hey siries, 38 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 1: send a text to say your own name, then tell 39 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:30,399 Speaker 1: your unnerving little robot helper your big idea. Now it's 40 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 1: captured as well. You can do the same thing in 41 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 1: the shower. Yes, I am guessing your phone is sitting 42 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 1: outside the shower, maybe on the counter or on top 43 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:43,639 Speaker 1: of your pile of clothes. I know I hear from 44 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 1: people that they listen to this podcast while putting on 45 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 1: makeup are getting dressed. If that is the case, just 46 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:52,799 Speaker 1: open the shower door and tell the phone your big 47 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:58,119 Speaker 1: idea now it's waiting for you. Of course, it's possible 48 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 1: that you don't bring your phone into the bathroom, or 49 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: if you're out jumping waves or something else, you won't 50 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 1: have it, in which case, good for you. Your best 51 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 1: bet in these cases is to try some little mental 52 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 1: trick to commit your idea to memory. Strange associations tend 53 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:19,639 Speaker 1: to work best if you are in the shower. Try 54 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: an association with shampoo or soap, or a towel or 55 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 1: a razor. To use an example from my line of work, 56 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: Let's say you just got an idea for a column 57 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:32,919 Speaker 1: on how to kick a screen time have it. You 58 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 1: might picture little bottles of shampoo looking at screens and 59 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: then doing whatever you had in mind in order to 60 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: get off the screens. Because this mental image is so weird, 61 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 1: you will remember it as soon as you get to 62 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 1: your phone or a piece of paper. In a few minutes, 63 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: you can write it down and release those little shampoo 64 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 1: bottles from their labors. Now, of course, all of these 65 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: ideas require that there be a time when you collect 66 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 1: and process these inputs. It does no good to send 67 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:08,360 Speaker 1: yourself an email if you then don't go through your 68 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: primary inbox with a planner or calendar in hand. Similarly, 69 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 1: maybe you put things in a notes app, which sounds great, 70 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:19,479 Speaker 1: but if there is not a time when you reliably 71 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: process those notes, then they won't do you any good. 72 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:28,599 Speaker 1: So make sure you have a collection and reflection time. 73 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 1: But if you do, then you can capture your ideas 74 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 1: whatever you are doing. And hopefully, once you know you 75 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 1: can capture your good ideas, you will start to have 76 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: more of them in the shower, in the car, in 77 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 1: the ocean, or wherever. In the meantime, this is Laura, 78 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 79 00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: our time. M Hey everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 80 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 81 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:13,560 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at 82 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast Pod that's B the number four then Breakfast 83 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 1: p o D. You can also shoot me an email 84 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:26,159 Speaker 1: at Before Breakfast Podcast at i heeart media dot Com 85 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 1: that before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 86 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:31,360 Speaker 1: Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch. 87 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:40,280 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For 88 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart 89 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 90 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:47,599 Speaker 1: favorite shows.