Earl Chua

The other night I was getting a facial and naturally, during a facial you have a lot of time to think. I ended up being somewhat productive during that time because I did a lot of thinking and planning. I thought of some good website ideas, thought of some good websites to research, thought of some things that I needed to get done, and basically planned what I needed to do when I got home.

After the facial we grabbed dinner, walked around, went to the store, and then went home. I was happy to get home because I knew that I had a lot planned for the night but as soon as I sat in front of my computer…my mind went blank. I forgot what I had planned…or at least 80% of it.

Back in the States I always have my cell phone with me. I have a Treo 700p and I love it. I never leave home without it. Part of the reason is because I like to be able to keep in touch with everyone that I need to, but the other reason is that it keeps me organized. From the calendar, task list, Microsoft office, and even the calculator…I cannot function efficiently without it.

The one application that most people take for granted though is the memo pad. I love the memo pad. Anytime you have any kind of idea, whether you’re driving, working, watching a movie…it’s nice to be able to jot it down on your phone because you usually have it with you.

Unfortunately my phone service does not work in this country therefore I have not been carrying it with me. Instead I’ve been carrying a basic Samsung cell phone that is good for nothing but calling and maybe texting. It has a memo pad but I’m too spoiled and cannot stand typing on non pda phones.

It wasn’t until recently that I realized how important it is to write things down. Your best ideas come when you least expect it and if you don’t record it, you WILL forget it. You also remember things better when you write it down.

Whether its your cell phone, laptop, ipod, notebook, or even a piece of napkin; always keep something with you to write on.

When you think about something that you feel is a genius idea, write it down and look back at it in a couple days. It might end up not being that great of an idea anymore but at least you can re-evaluate it. On the other hand, if you feel that it is a genius idea then you will be glad you wrote it down.