Idea Half-Lives

There's nothing more frustrating than knowing you had a great idea, and not being able to remember what it was. I hate that. So, I've revived an old practice, the "capture notebook." This is a notebook that I keep with me, that I can jot down ideas soon after they come to me - before too many idea half-lives go by and it is gone.

Aside: Do you know what a half-life is? It comes from radioactive science. Radioactive materials are in the process of self-destructing - that is, the atoms are spewing out particles (hence the radiation). As they do, they essentially transform into a different material. This process of decay progresses at different rates for different materials. The time period necessary for one-half of a given chunk of material to convert from one material to another is called the half-life. So after on half-life, you only have half the radiation, this is halfed again and so on, and so on. After 4 or 5 half-lives, the levels are pretty low.

So it is, I find, with ideas. They are crisp and sharp when I first think one, but over time, usually a few hours, I can no longer remember what my "brilliant" idea was.

Enter the "capture book." Within one or two idea half-lives, I need to record the idea in my capture book - thereby capturing it so I can find it later. For example, this morning as I was driving to work, I had an idea for a topic for a term paper for one of my courses this term (I'm in school). So when I arrived, I jotted down a few quick notes. Now I will remember.

I have often used pieces of paper - but these are too easy to misplace. If you use a notebook, they are all in one place.

My older brother and father both use this technique.
Some people have trained themselves to wake up and jot down dreams. Woo.

Give it a try ... if you can remember to.