“We first observe facts, then generalize, and then draw conclusions and principles. The knowledge of the mind, of the internal nature of man, of thought, can never be had until we first have the power of observing the facts that are going on within.”
— Swami Vivekananda
Say you just felt excited by reading or seeing something. Or you’re stirred by a thought. Or you get a new idea. What should you do next?
Write bullet points. Draw a flowchart. Deep dive. If you’re busy with another activity, scribble notes that you can return to later. (And return to them when you take a break.) But take a pause and do something!
Far too many brilliant ideas get lost in the sinkhole of busyness. Ideas that could lead to Aha! moments, introduce new ways to look at the same things, or put a ding in the universe.
Maybe your idea can’t be executed right away because it’s not a priority or because it’s sketchy. Don’t worry about that. Continue to explore. Put your thoughts in a notebook and revisit them each week. When you keep returning to your thoughts, you can connect unrelated dots, go deeper, and discover other striking ideas.
An inspiring thought or idea is a signal of what interests you. Play with it as a child plays in the sand. That is a much better use of your time than checking emails, texts, and social media non-stop.
Besides, you never know where the idea could lead you.