Joel Orr: What Was That Thought?

Do you have a perfect memory? I don’t. I remember lots of stuff, but I don’t remember everything I want to. I’m driving along, and suddenly I remember: My shoes were being resoled by the shoemaker, and I was supposed to pick them up a week ago. Unless I record that fact somehow, I will forget them again.

I’m at lunch with an associate, and he says, “Hey, I’ve got an idea for you. Why don’t you…?” and proceeds to share a powerful suggestion with me. I get excited. But if I don’t write it down, I may never remember what he said.

I go to sleep thinking about a situation with a client. When I wake up, I realize that I know just what to do for the client. If I don’t make a note of it, the solution might easily get lost in my morning routine. By the time I get to my morning coffee, I might be saying, “What was that idea I had when I awoke? What was it about?”

The solution is simple, yet so many people ignore it: Always have something to write with, and someplace to write. You can use Post-Its, but you’re likely to misplace them. Instead, get a small notebook, one whose size is convenient for you. Some people like the feel of a 9″x12″; I like ones that fit into a shirt pocket.

(Quick warning: Don’t write while driving! I use a digital recorder in the car. I can talk all I want, and it remembers.)

I particularly enjoy notebooks that have a loop for a pen. Some people prefer to have pens everywhere, or always carry a pen as part of their “uniform.”

But having a notebook that is always available is only part of the system — the “put” part, you might say. What about the “get” part, where you take the information you’ve captured and do something with it? That is what I call “the daily sweep.”

At the end of the day, I take my little notebook and review what I’ve added. To-do’s and appointments get added to my calendar; ideas go into the appropriate place. I also play back my recordings as part of my “daily sweep.”

This system doesn’t guarantee that I will actually take appropriate action on all my notes. But at least it ensures that the notes don’t get lost just because I didn’t keep track of them. I hope you find it helpful.