Brain Dump

Does your head ever get so full of details and ideas that you're afraid you'll forget something important? Happens to me all the time.

It happens with grocery items, work schedules, things to do, and so on. I'm sure we've all been there at one time or another. You desperately don't want to forget to stop at the bank, but what do you do? You drive home, passing the bank because you're completely preoccupied with what you're gonna wear to work tomorrow, or what you're gonna cook for dinner tonight.

For me, I often think of ideas for a blog post while I'm doing something else; while working is often the situation. The idea is brilliant! The post that everyone will love and subsequently tell me what a good writer I am. Then I get jolted back to reality by 105-3 needing analgesia. Poof! There goes my brilliant idea. Out of my head.

Despite jotting brief notes on my work notes (now there's another topic entirely!), the ideas never quite make it home. They get lost in my cavernous nurse's pockets and become forgotten long before the shift's end.

During routine daily activities at home or out on errands, another brilliant idea pops into my consciousness. Inevitably I'm nowhere near a pen and paper or in a situation where writing is likely not a wise choice, ie. never a good idea to write and drive.

My sort-of solution to this problem? During a quiet period in my home (remember that I live with a male toddler), when I've exhausted all other entertainment options, I grab an old fashioned data recording device and commence recording the ideas from my head. My data recording device is pen and paper (gasp!), a very useful way of recording ideas for future reference. Tonight I had some future post ideas on my mind; they are all neatly written down.

And, wouldn't you know it?! The ideas I wrote down spawned more ideas for posts, including this one.

"Brain Dump" is what I call this activity when I write down all the random to-do items, groceries, errands, and anything else that's on my mind. It's doubtful that I came up with this name on my own; more likely that I heard the expression somewhere and adopted it.

Regardless, I'm thinking that I should do this on a regular basis and not just when the mood strikes.

What do you do to help yourself remember things? How do you keep your brain from becoming overloaded with details?