Last week I got wrapped up in a project I was working on, and I lost track of time. Rushing, I ran to the bathroom to take a shower before heading out. Stepping into the water, I couldn’t help but to hope I didn’t have any great ideas while in there, as I was without my trusty “Chubby” notebook and pen.
And then it hit me. Bath crayons.
When my boys, now ages 7 and 10, were toddlers, I remember having bath crayons and paints for them to decorate the shower walls with. Honestly I don’t believe they washed away very well, which is probably why we stopped buying them.
But on this day, that would have been perfect. I could have used the crayons to record any new ideas on the walls, and then I could transfer them into my notebook when I got home later. Perfect!
One of Dave’s most quoted animated movies is Hoodwinked!, in which a goat sings a song about being prepared (see video below). As small business owners we owe it to ourselves and our clients to be prepared… Always… But so many seem to fail at this little two-word phrase. Whether it be by not knowing how to use his/her smart phone or writing the time and location for their next client meeting down on a piece of scrap piece of paper, for so many entrepreneurs a sense of preparedness is not in place. Sadly, this will turn to business failure for some.
In today’s fast paced, electronics based society, we have no idea when or where our next great idea will strike. We could be in bed or in the shower, at a little league game or in a doctor’s waiting room. Heck, Doc Brown thought of the Flux Capacitor after hitting his head on the toilet seat!
I don’t leave my house without my 99 cent Chubby notebook. I won’t deny that I don’t use my electronic devices to track my initial ideas. I want a hard copy on file should anything ever come of the idea. But when it comes to appointment tracking, an online calendar system saves my day. If I’m not in front of the computer, I write it down, however at the end of the day, all my notes for that day are in one place.
So I ask you… What methods of tracking your ideas and other necessary information do YOU have in place? Are your methods working for you? We would love to know your answers! Please leave them in the comments section below!
Do you need help implementing your great ideas? Sutton Creative Studios would love to talk to you about how we can help? Email us and we will get right back to you!
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Kim Sutton is the Managing Partner and Chief Everything Officer of The Sutton Companies, including Sutton Strategic Solutions and Sutton Creative Studios. She is a graduate of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Architecture.
An avid reader and passionate learner, Kim is constantly researching, studying and developing business improvement strategies. When it comes to client work, Kim especially enjoys helping her clients develop innovative marketing strategies and sales funnels, particularly when they are using Infusionsoft to automate all the heavy lifting. To find out how you can further develop your company’s marketing and automation strategies schedule a 1-hour Business Boost Strategy Session by clicking here.
In her free-time, Kim cherishes the time she gets to spend with her husband, Dave (her business partner), and five children. She also enjoys reading, knitting, writing and playing video games.
Get a copy of Kim’s FREE guide, “10 Top Tools for Small Businesses” by clicking here.
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