WEBVTT - Capture your shower ideas 0:00:03.440 --> 0:00:06.680 Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 0:00:09.280 --> 0:00:14.960 Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 0:00:16.120 --> 0:00:19.200 Today's tip is that if you get your best ideas 0:00:19.200 --> 0:00:24.040 in the shower or another inconvenient location, you can find 0:00:24.040 --> 0:00:27.680 a way to capture them. Time away from your computer 0:00:27.800 --> 0:00:31.120 can be conducive to creative thinking, but you need a 0:00:31.160 --> 0:00:33.519 way to make sure your ideas can be acted on 0:00:34.080 --> 0:00:38.040 when you find your way back to your computer. Many 0:00:38.080 --> 0:00:41.839 people have some of their best ideas while showering, driving, running, 0:00:42.360 --> 0:00:45.880 or doing some other task that is not intellectually demanding 0:00:46.680 --> 0:00:51.000 and is not conducive to taking notes. This isn't just 0:00:51.040 --> 0:00:54.360 the universe's way of tormenting us, though it can feel tormenting. 0:00:55.240 --> 0:00:58.360 Creativity and innovation are more likely to happen when we 0:00:58.440 --> 0:01:01.400 let our minds wander for a while, free from the 0:01:01.400 --> 0:01:05.560 steady stream of words, numbers, and tasks to be done 0:01:06.040 --> 0:01:10.520 that defines most of our days. But for your shower 0:01:10.560 --> 0:01:13.959 ideas to be more than just daydreams, you need to 0:01:13.959 --> 0:01:17.000 find a way to capture them. And when you are 0:01:17.040 --> 0:01:19.360 wet and soapy, or behind the wheel of a car 0:01:19.520 --> 0:01:22.640 or dodging waves in the ocean, this is easier said 0:01:22.680 --> 0:01:26.280 than done. I know there is a small market in 0:01:26.520 --> 0:01:30.760 waterproof notepads or bath crans. I guess the idea for 0:01:30.880 --> 0:01:33.000 the non toddler set is that you could write your 0:01:33.000 --> 0:01:36.360 brilliant idea on the shower wall. But you really don't 0:01:36.360 --> 0:01:39.440 need to do that. You probably already have either the 0:01:39.440 --> 0:01:42.600 physical or mental tools you need at your disposal to 0:01:42.680 --> 0:01:44.959 put your thoughts somewhere that you will be able to 0:01:45.000 --> 0:01:48.880 act upon it. My guess is that you almost always 0:01:49.040 --> 0:01:52.240 have your phone with you if you are out walking 0:01:52.360 --> 0:01:55.480 or running, it's in your pocket. So when you get 0:01:55.480 --> 0:01:59.320 a brilliant idea, pause and send yourself a quick email 0:01:59.640 --> 0:02:03.200 with your idea as the subject line. It will be 0:02:03.280 --> 0:02:07.120 there when you process your emails later. If you are 0:02:07.120 --> 0:02:09.839 stuck in traffic to the point where you can put 0:02:09.880 --> 0:02:13.160 your car in park, then you could send yourself a 0:02:13.200 --> 0:02:16.760 note this way too. But if not because you're moving 0:02:16.840 --> 0:02:21.360 some use your phone or your car's voice assistant. Hey siries, 0:02:21.440 --> 0:02:25.960 send a text to say your own name, then tell 0:02:26.080 --> 0:02:30.399 your unnerving little robot helper your big idea. Now it's 0:02:30.440 --> 0:02:33.560 captured as well. You can do the same thing in 0:02:33.600 --> 0:02:37.400 the shower. Yes, I am guessing your phone is sitting 0:02:37.400 --> 0:02:40.600 outside the shower, maybe on the counter or on top 0:02:40.639 --> 0:02:43.639 of your pile of clothes. I know I hear from 0:02:43.639 --> 0:02:46.120 people that they listen to this podcast while putting on 0:02:46.160 --> 0:02:50.040 makeup are getting dressed. If that is the case, just 0:02:50.160 --> 0:02:52.799 open the shower door and tell the phone your big 0:02:52.840 --> 0:02:58.119 idea now it's waiting for you. Of course, it's possible 0:02:58.160 --> 0:03:01.040 that you don't bring your phone into the bathroom, or 0:03:01.040 --> 0:03:03.280 if you're out jumping waves or something else, you won't 0:03:03.280 --> 0:03:06.800 have it, in which case, good for you. Your best 0:03:06.840 --> 0:03:10.200 bet in these cases is to try some little mental 0:03:10.240 --> 0:03:15.480 trick to commit your idea to memory. Strange associations tend 0:03:15.520 --> 0:03:19.639 to work best if you are in the shower. Try 0:03:19.680 --> 0:03:23.840 an association with shampoo or soap, or a towel or 0:03:23.880 --> 0:03:27.600 a razor. To use an example from my line of work, 0:03:27.720 --> 0:03:30.000 Let's say you just got an idea for a column 0:03:30.000 --> 0:03:32.919 on how to kick a screen time have it. You 0:03:33.040 --> 0:03:37.040 might picture little bottles of shampoo looking at screens and 0:03:37.080 --> 0:03:39.280 then doing whatever you had in mind in order to 0:03:39.320 --> 0:03:43.760 get off the screens. Because this mental image is so weird, 0:03:44.680 --> 0:03:47.480 you will remember it as soon as you get to 0:03:47.520 --> 0:03:49.440 your phone or a piece of paper. In a few minutes, 0:03:49.480 --> 0:03:52.800 you can write it down and release those little shampoo 0:03:52.840 --> 0:03:57.360 bottles from their labors. Now, of course, all of these 0:03:57.400 --> 0:04:00.800 ideas require that there be a time when you collect 0:04:00.880 --> 0:04:05.200 and process these inputs. It does no good to send 0:04:05.240 --> 0:04:08.360 yourself an email if you then don't go through your 0:04:08.400 --> 0:04:13.080 primary inbox with a planner or calendar in hand. Similarly, 0:04:13.160 --> 0:04:16.080 maybe you put things in a notes app, which sounds great, 0:04:16.960 --> 0:04:19.479 but if there is not a time when you reliably 0:04:19.600 --> 0:04:22.960 process those notes, then they won't do you any good. 0:04:24.160 --> 0:04:28.599 So make sure you have a collection and reflection time. 0:04:29.920 --> 0:04:33.120 But if you do, then you can capture your ideas 0:04:33.200 --> 0:04:37.560 whatever you are doing. And hopefully, once you know you 0:04:37.600 --> 0:04:41.000 can capture your good ideas, you will start to have 0:04:41.160 --> 0:04:45.760 more of them in the shower, in the car, in 0:04:45.800 --> 0:04:51.719 the ocean, or wherever. In the meantime, this is Laura, 0:04:52.680 --> 0:04:56.839 Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 0:04:56.880 --> 0:05:06.320 our time. M Hey everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 0:05:06.320 --> 0:05:09.200 You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 0:05:09.960 --> 0:05:13.560 Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at 0:05:13.600 --> 0:05:19.120 Before Breakfast Pod that's B the number four then Breakfast 0:05:19.480 --> 0:05:22.240 p o D. You can also shoot me an email 0:05:22.320 --> 0:05:26.159 at Before Breakfast Podcast at i heeart media dot Com 0:05:26.160 --> 0:05:28.680 that before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 0:05:29.320 --> 0:05:31.360 Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch. 0:05:37.200 --> 0:05:40.280 Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For 0:05:40.440 --> 0:05:43.440 more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart 0:05:43.520 --> 0:05:46.880 Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 0:05:46.920 --> 0:05:47.599 favorite shows.