I notice that my mind can’t hold onto good ideas so easily because of the distractions and speed of modern life. Twitter is great for posting what you are thinking in the moment. I like it for this and often refer back to some of my stream of consciousness thinking for ideas.
The hard part is moving to action. There is this gap between a great idea from simply thinking or talking with someone about a topic. Sharing your idea so it can be helpful means that you have a system for moving from capturing the thought to sending it out.
You can be much more efficient in bringing value to others. Here’s how I like to work this simple process:
Inputs
When I think of a great idea or hear one from someone else, I use Google Tasks on my phone. It syncs with my Google Apps.
If I have a thought around something I would like to expand my thinking about in blogs, white papers or other content to share, I post it in Twitter. This helps me capture it in sixty seconds.
Using those two systems helps me set up action. Keep it simple is what I have learned. Otherwise I have too many places to manage.
Outputs
It is important for me to review past thoughts. I clear out my Google Tasks when I have time to move actions to more articulated actions into project management systems, CRM or other systems. It’s a clearing area.
When I have space and time to write, I review my Twitter posts or Google Tasks. Then I work through my writing process and share it out with the appropriate audience or person.
The process works well. The key part is to capture ideas and move them to content as quickly as possible. My passion subsides over time and that is important to create impact and emotion around content that will be valuable.
These are some things I have learned over time. What are some things you do to move ideas to content?