Seizing Those Moments Of Clarity
I have moments of clarity, and I’m sure you do too—those moments when the lightbulb just switches on in your head and you can see everything clearly, all at once. I did some considering about when those moments happen for me, and I realized that I seem to do my best thinking when I go for a walk. Think about when you get your moments of clarity, and you might notice a pattern. If something triggers quality thought for you, you might be able to make those moments happen more often.
So I like to go for walks to come up with new organizing ideas and strategize about how to solve clients’ problems. My particular technique is to take my Blackberry with me (well, when do I not have it with me?) so I can jot down quick notes as ideas come to me. When I get home, I can reference those notes to type my ideas out in full, and I need the notes because those moments of clarity can vanish as quickly as they come.
Note-taking on the go is one excellent reason to have a Blackberry or other personal digital assistant. On top of the professional convenience of constant email access and the ability to sync with the email program on my home computer, the notepad from my PDA gets automatically copied to my computer so I can keep working on those notes and thoughts without a hiccup.
If you’re thinking of buying a PDA for the first time, keep in mind that there are many options. You can research the different choices online to avoid being pressured into buying more than you need by an enthusiastic salesperson. Choose wisely for your particular needs, and remember that sometimes the simpler option will be easier to use and still meet all your requirements.
Finally, remember that PDAs, like many electronic devices, don’t last forever. Back up your data (it’s easy!) as often as you can—professionals often choose to back up data daily to protect irreplaceable information, but at least monthly attention to this can save you a lot of hassle when your PDA fails. Expect that it will at some point; these devices mostly only last a year before they need to be replaced.
