How To Create a Tickler List of Good Ideas

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” — Albert Einstein

Jotting down one-sentence thoughts is a simple way to turn insight into action.

I come across “ah-has” all the time, and I take the extra step to write them down in a sticky way.

For example, while strolling through the blogosphere I came across a nice little pearl of wisdom on The Cranky Middle Manager Show:

“We impact our own mood through the people we meet and the input (books, blogs and stuff) that we read.”

I wrote it down in a simpler way and added a point about focus:

We impact our mood through people and input — and what we focus on.

The act of writing it down forces me to think about it a little more, and it makes it easy for me to scan as a reminder at a later point.

I can flip through my insights for the day, the week, the month or whatever.

How To Create a Thought Catcher

My process is simple. I write down the current date, and list any ah-has.

My only criteria is that it’s an interesting thought that I might want to remember.

It can be my own or trigged by something I come across.

If it’s some I come across, then I add the link back to the source so I can easily go back to it.

Here are some examples from today…

Logging your “ah-has.”
Co-create the future – pair up on a compelling outcome.
Spend more time where it counts, then time takes care of itself.
Do it and write about it – the hallmark of prescriptive guidance.
Statistically significant doesn’t matter — relevancy does. If one pattern or piece of advice fits you, that’s better than a bunch of statistically significant conclusions that don’t.
Is your career a matter of luck or cause and effect? (The Cranky Middle Manager Show)
We impact our mood through people and input — and what we focus on. (The Cranky Middle Manager Show)
What do you want to be known for — good enough or excellence? (Larry Hendrick)
Do the best of somebody BETTER! (Mary Schmidt)
Brutal competition, barbaric bloody battles for market share, an under-staffed and ill-prepared team, limited resources, challenged margins. (Linked to Leadership)
Find a reason to act — you can always find a reason NOT to. (Life Beyond Code)
Make it or break it in the prep or lack thereof. (Drew’s Marketing Minute)
A single message. (Drew’s Marketing Minute)
What, so what, and now what? (Applied Imagination)