As Emcee of the Maui Writers Conference, I walked the beach every morning to practice my intro’s for the day.
One morning, I saw Pulitzer-Prize winning author Frank McCourt (Angela’s Ashes) writing away on two high-school composition notebooks.
He’d write in one notebook, startle, look up, quickly jot something in the other notebook, then resume writing in his original notebook.
I was intrigued and asked, “Frank, quick question, what are you doing?”
He told me his grand-daughter had visited them and woke up early one morning. “She was speaking vividly about a dream she’d had, and I realized we’re often most imaginative when we wake up, so from then on, I vowed to write as soon as I got up so I could capture what I’d dreamed about.
Except oftentimes I would think of something else I needed to do and lose my train of thought, so I started keeping a second notebook nearby.
Now, if I’m writing and another priority occurs to me, I jot it down in my second notebook so I’m free to forget it.”
This helps you declutter your mind, freeing you to follow your flow and capture creativity before it slips away.
ACTION
When does your imagination feel most active?
On a walk? Download a voice note or transcription app like Otter.ai and muse it before you lose it.
In the shower? Put an Alexa device in the bathroom and jot your thoughts when they’re hot.
When you wake up? Leave a notebook and a favorite pen on your nightstand so you can ink it when you think it.
When you sit down to work? Sit down and set a timer for 10 mins, close your eyes and let your thoughts flow before they go.
While driving? Use your phone’s voice-to-text feature to speak your ideas aloud before they vanish in the rearview.
P.S. Want more tips to turn brain fog into brain focus? Read my recent LinkedIn Newsletter (and remember to subscribe!)