Write It Down

How many times have you heard that you need to write things down? That has been presented as a solution in more organizing articles and books than I care to admit that I’ve read! Yet, application of this solution doesn’t come naturally to me.

I'm sure that there are those that can totally relate to what I’m saying. However, I’m convinced that it is a habit that is well worth whatever challenge it poses to me. Honestly, it's simply impossible to remember everything that needs to be done.

It's so important to know what is coming up and what items need your involvement or attention. I admit it, I am SO guilty of just ‘going with it’. However, I can also admit that this method of winging it can lead to lots of multi-tasking, jumping from one thing to another, only working on the loudest or most obvious things, and bottom line – you will succeed in getting a bit of everything will get done... but nothing substantial and, dare I say it?, nothing will be done really well either.

In the middle of next month, I hit a milestone – 40! It’s a bit hard to accept, but I recognize that the older I get, the more challenging remembering simple tasks becomes.

A while back I was reading through some neuroscience findings. The intent of the study was identifying common practices amongst high-functioning individuals. Keeping a notebook handy at all times to record passing thoughts, tasks, ideas and notes was an almost-universal trait of the studied individuals. The research summarized three beneficial findings of this practice:

1. By keeping the notebook handy 24/7, it becomes a reliable place to confidently store “mind-matter.” By transferring thoughts, tasks, ideas and notes from mind to paper, the mind is free to focus on the task at hand.

2. The act of writing something down makes it more concrete, and statistically, increases the odds of accomplishing and remembering the written task.

3. By having all information accessible (within arm’s reach) individuals are better able to maximize unexpected free time slots (even 5 to 10 minutes).

Sound too simple? I want to find out, don’t you? I’d love to challenge you to keep a notebook on hand at all times for the next week. Try it with me. Let’s write it all down and see if it improves us.