Remember when?
April 10th, 2008 by Janette
Ever hit a mental wall? I have, and it’s not a fun place to be. I’ve run into people I know socially, know their face, sometimes know where they work, but the name? Yeah, thinking, thinking, and pulling a blank. It’s a really crummy feeling.
These mental farts don’t have a thing to do with age either. People just lead busier more mentally challenging lives. The brain is full of stuff we have to know to survive, stuff we want to know or learn, and new stuff that we cram in for whatever reason.
No matter where we go or what we do, new things are thrust at us. Technology is moving at warp speed, and we have to keep up with at least the basics or we’ll soon be extinct.
As an author, I am constantly cramming my head full of characters, their problems, their worlds, and the quagmires they get into and out of. It takes a lot of thinking and trusting instincts to weave a story out of thin air. It gets more challenging when you add the business side of writing to the mix, for that uses a lot of time and thinking as well. Add a job/family/hobby, and things get crowded damned fast.
I know exercise helps stimulate the brain, releasing endorphins and giving you that boost. But I think a problem with a lot of people, myself included, is we haven’t or can’t delete the junk we no longer need to remember. Or junk that is just plain counterproductive.
It’s so easy to dump the garbage on a computer. Yes, some stays buried in the memory, but it’s not up front eating up needed space.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could do the same with our brains? Hit a button and clean out the garbage taking up space?
James Chartrand from Web Content Writer Tips blogged about uncluttering the mind on Clutter-cubed where you can read the full article.
In short, he advices three things to help unclutter the mind and boost memory.
1. Write everything down.
2. Organize at the end of the day.
3. Schedule and stick with it.
Sounds simple and it’s worth a try.
What about you? Do you have tips or tricks for clearing the junk from the brain?
11 Responses to “Remember when?”
Yes! Microsoft OneNote is genius. I have notebooks for every part of my life. Each notebook has sections, each sectio pages. You can even create sub-notebooks.
I download the junk in my brain constantly, there. If you try the free trial, you’ll be addicted
A stiff drink.
But since I don’t drink, I have to resort to other means like sending myself emails and that fabulous invention called sticky notes.
I’m a notebook junkie, too, spy, but I use real ones. I think by writing stuff down, it frees the brain to work better. Or give it more space to collect junk. *sigh*
lol, Marcia. I nearly drown in sticky notes when I’m deep into a novel. I’m also a big fan of whiteboards.
Jan, great blog! I jot notes down, but need to put them in notebooks cause the single sheets of paper get cluttered and do me little good. I’m a firm believer of “letting” go too, of old stuff crowding the mind. Thanks for the link, and I’ll check it out. And I’m terrible at names too, but I never forget all the characters who come to visit in my stories. Guess I rewired myself.
If I don’t write it down, I’ll forget. Plain and simple. The grocery list, an appointment, the color of my hero’s eyes. So I have calendars, lists, and notebooks galore! The lovely thing about writing it down is that you can then let it go and not worry about it. But, I know I poured myself a cup of coffee only a few minutes ago. Where did I set it down?
Marcia’s way sounds best, but I’m like LaDonna. I write it down in little notes that clutter up my desktops. And then I try to find the one little note I’ll need out of all the others.
Notebooks don’t work well for me. I never know what part of the house I’ll be in when I get an idea.
I usually remember. I have a very, very good memory. But as time goes by, yes, somethings are slipping through the cracks, LOL. My husband is a great believer in lists. I’m giving it a go.
I’m sure I have a short in my wiring, LaD! I’ve developed a system for my little notes. Important ones go on the whiteboard, and the ones I use to jot down something as I’m working gets pitched. Still paper is a clutter I loathe.
Oh, God, that’s me, Shari! Very annoying. Find that coffee yet?
I’ve got them everywhere, Edie. Paper, pens scattered throughout because you never know where you’ll be when inspiration strikes.
It’s freeing, Michelle. My memory used to be like a steel trap. Now it’s more like a black hole.
i have stacks of notes everywhere. in the computer, on the computer, around the computer. problem is i am so unorganized i can never find the file with the notes in it. the good news, while in search for them i discover other cool notes i’ve written down and didn’t no where to find them.
Karin, I do the same thing. I never know what I’ll find when I do a search of my desk.
I keep notes in a folder. I try to separate the folders into story ideas and whenever something comes to mind, I’ll jot it down on the nearest piece of paper and tuck it into the folder.
My memory is pretty darned good for the everyday stuff. I keep a mental list that I check off as I complete a task. I then download it and forget about it.