The School of Good Ideas: Lesson #4
Have you ever used an idea notebook?
They are a tried-and-true method of keeping track of your ideas and help develop them further. Throughout history, innovators and great thinkers, have used idea notebooks to support their work. From business leaders like Bill Gates to comedians like Larry David, an idea notebook is their 'secret sauce' to their work. There's science behind writing things down by hand--it helps with memory rentention, focus, and 'unplugging' from your busy digital life. Apps and typing just can't compete with a trusty idea notebook!
Here are some quotes from celebrated figures throughout history on the importance of their idea notebooks:
“I always have a notebook on hand. My secret ‘life hack’ has been to write it down! I can’t tell you where I’d be if I hadn’t had a pen on hand to write down my ideas as soon as they come to me." - Sir Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Group
"My notebook holds a list of discussion items and action points from meetings, and when they are all ticked off, I rip the sheet out and start another. If every action item is done 10 minutes into an hour-long meeting, the meeting is over." - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and author of Lean In
"Always carry a notebook. Write everything down. When you meet someone new, write down everything you know about them. When you hear something interesting, write it down. Writing it down will make you act upon it. THAT is a million-dollar lesson they don’t teach you in business school.” - Aristotle Onassis, shipping magnate
"While mixing the sound for American Graffiti with Walter Murch, he asked me to hand him R2, D2, meaning 'Reel 2, Dialogue 2.' I liked the sound of that phrase and jotted it down in my notebook. That later became the name of the little robot!" - George Lucas, creator of Star Wars
"He neither painted nor sketched and never went up to his studio except when it was absolutely necessary, and even then he put it off from day to day, no matter how urgent. In order to occupy his imagination, he wrote--with a pen if he found one handy, or a small stub of pencil--in a little notebook which he carried about with him in his pocket. He wrote everywhere." - Jaime Sabartes, describing his friend, artist Pablo Picasso
What do you think? Check out our Instagram for more advice on putting your ideas to work!
