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Wouldn’t it be nice if ideas came to you when they were supposed to? You sit down, decide to be creative, and boom: you’re creative. The juices flow, the ideas are endless, and your brilliance just runneth over onto the page.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. For most of us, our creative and inspirational moments come at random, unpredictable, and often totally inconvenient times. There’s no rhyme or reason to it, and that great idea could strike at any moment.

That said, the best thing we can do is be prepared at all times for that game-changing idea. I recently decided to take stock of where I am when ideas hit me, and what I’m doing; this has allowed me to figure out where I need to have ways to record ideas, thoughts, and other general moments of brilliance that come when I least expect them.

At the end of my search I found nine places, where I had no easy way of recording ideas, where I often have good ideas. I put a pad of paper and a pen in each one, and it’s made my ability to quickly and easily record ideas much higher. Here they are, nine places to make sure you’ve got pen and paper (or index cards, or Moleskine notebook) ready for your next great idea:

The Bathroom

We spend a lot of time in the bathroom. Sometimes, when you’re doing something mindless like brushing your teeth, your brain can wander onto great ideas. Other times, staring at yourself in the mirror, saying “think, man, THINK” can spark good ideas. Maybe. Regardless of what it is, we seem to have a disproportionately large number of ideas in the bathroom, so keep a pad of paper and a pen waiting to record them.

The Car

Maybe you’re stuck in traffic – do some brainstorming. Maybe you see a funny bumper sticker, or witness an incident you want to remember – keep a piece of paper within arm’s reach of your seat in the car, and record all your great ideas. While I don’t recommend writing while you drive, it’s a great thing to have for the momentary stop, or when you first arrive at your destination, to dump all the great ideas you might forget about later.

The Shower

For whatever reason, I think better in the shower than anywhere else. I think 90% of the good ideas I’ve ever had (including the idea for this post) came while I was taking a shower, and singing some fantastic 90′s song. But I digress. The solution here? Cover an index card, or piece of paper, in scotch tape. Poof! You’ve got a dry-erase board that can stand up to the water much better than paper. Keep it just outside the shower, and you’re set to write down all the brilliance that results from your showers.

By Your Bed

Every once in a while, I’ll be laying in bed and have a great idea for a blog post, or business, or something else; usually, I just think “I’m already in bed. I’ll remember tomorrow.” I never remember tomorrow, so I’ve started writing it down. Some mornings, I’ll wake up with a whole list of ideas to run with that day, all brainstormed as my mind wound down as I went to sleep.

By the Phone

Phone calls tend to inspire thought, new things to do, numbers to remember, and the like – keep a pad of paper ready. If you use a cell phone, keep a pad next to your phone charger, and carry it with you when you get on the phone. Write down anything you could possibly need to remember, and trust that you’ll actually hang onto things this way.

By the TV

Watching TV creates total sensory-overload. You’ll see images, hear sounds, and watch shows designed to elicit a reaction from you. If something you watch gives you an idea, you might be too lazy to get up and write it down. So don’t get up – keep a pen and paper next to you, and capture anything that captures you.

In the Kitchen

Like the bathroom, the kitchen is a place we spend a lot of time doing mindless tasks. It’s the perfect venue to brainstorm or mind-map, to come up with new ideas while you’re waiting for water to boil. Paper here also comes in handy for remembering recipes that worked well (or those that didn’t).

In Your Carry-On

Traveling is a huge boon to your idea-generation. You’ll be exposed to new things, forced to see and think about things differently, which can open your brain and bring out new ideas and new perspective. Keep a pen or notebook handy to jot down thoughts, ideas, reactions, and the like from your travels – I find that I think more, and have more ideas when I’m in a new setting than at any other time.

By the Front Door

Had a great idea on the bus, but couldn’t write it down? Have a pad of paper right inside your front door to capture it as soon as you walk in. Don’t leave space for you to get distracted by anything else – TV, computers, family, etc. Write down what you were thinking, and then fully head inside.

If there’s a trend to all this, it’s that some of the best ideas come out when we’re doing something mindless (brushing teeth, watching TV, etc.). Your brain, not being used fully, gets to wander and be creative, and out come vast numbers of great ideas.

Take note of where you are next time you have a great thought or idea, and make sure you’ve got an easy way to record it and remember it.

Where do you have great ideas? How do you record them?

Photo: cbowns