Richard Branson’s simple habit that could help you boom with ideas
This is to be a collection without order, drawn from many papers, which I have copied here, hoping to arrange them later each in its place, according to the subjects of which they treat.
-Leonardo da Vinci
Have you ever had a brilliant idea out of the blue?
Perhaps, one night just as you are warmly tucked into bed ready for sleep, or just moments after you step out of the shower. An idea so brilliant, you thought of all the inspiring content you could create from it — and minutes later, poof! It’s gone.
Vanished to meet the dozen or more other ideas that have come and gone.
Well, you are not alone. It happens to the best of us. But there is a no-brainer solution to tackling this conundrum — and it’s simpler than you think.
Create the habit of owning and using a commonplace book (Scroll to the end if you want to read actionable steps to developing your commonplace book). It’s typically a book for remembering important bits of information and ideas that would have otherwise been lost to the ether.
I started doing this about 7 years ago after reading The Virgin Way by Richard Branson, the eccentric billionaire founder of the Virgin Group, a well-known note-taker, and one of the world’s most popular dyslexics — a paradox that shouldn’t make sense when you think about it.
He is well known for carrying with him at all times a small notepad in his back pocket.
His ideas have propelled virgin group’s successes in several businesses that include travel, telecommunications, books, Jewellery, music, entertainment, financial services, and many others. There are over 200 virgin companies operating in 35 countries. It is safe to say he is an idea-generating machine.
He has this to say about the habit:
“Whenever I’m listening to anybody, I try to note down the points that most interest or concern me. Afterward, I can refer back to these notes and act upon them. Often these notes form the backbone of the types of blog posts you see on my social media channels, or I use them to help tackle a philanthropy challenge or a business opportunity. Many of the most effective people I know are avid note-takers — but many people still haven’t caught onto the value of notetaking.”
What A Commonplace Book Is And What It Is Not
We all know how ideas and insights can hit you out of nowhere. This is my primary reason for owning a commonplace book.
A commonplace book is like a net that catches all the ideas that flow through the sea that is your inundated mind.
Ideas that you can explore at a later time to decide which ones you would like to keep or discard.
It is not a journal, diary, or scrapbook. It doesn’t need to contain detailed ideas, does not need to stay chronological, or even attempt to be organized.
Although I started with a physical book, I ended up switching to a digital one — Evernote. However, I switched back to using a physical book in tandem with Evernote and my phone’s note app. There is a tendency to over-capture with apps.
Whichever combination works for you is always better than not having a convenient system for recording your ideas as quickly as they come. Though a physical book has some clear advantages — but more on that later.
Reasons To Why I Keep A Commonplace Book
“I go through dozens of notebooks every year and write down everything that occurs to me each day, an idea not written down is an idea lost. When inspiration calls, you’ve got to capture it.”
-Richard Branson
The habit of taking notes is a shared practice among the world’s most successful people, from Tim Ferris to Leonardo Da Vinci, Thomas Edison to Bruce Springsteen. These are very accomplished people from that you can learn a ton of useful life habits for success. Here are my reasons for owning one:
Catching Those Random Epiphanies
I usually get flooded with ideas during and after meditation. An easy-to-reach book is a life-changing tool for capturing inspired thoughts or ideas that could be lost in those moments.
Developing Headlines
Ideas for catchy and interesting headlines for Medium can come at any time — you will want to be ready to save them as they come. Your commonplace book is a great place to write headlines for your medium topic ideas and draw mind maps based on those headline ideas as you develop your articles. I often find that it helps me link related ideas and thoughts.
Tracking My Reading List
I have a list of 24 books I plan to read during the year. It’s on the last page of my commonplace book. I have found that having the list in a book that I refer to every day helps serve as a constant reminder to track my progress.
Staying Focused
I usually have a notebook handy when I am working on something. And when I come across something interesting but unrelated to the work I am currently doing, the book serves as a dump for ideas that would have otherwise distracted me.
I can refer back to my note in my leisure time and build ideas from them. I have found that this helps to improve my time management, increase my productivity, and focus.
How To Use To Use A Common Place Book
You might already be participating in the age-old tradition of common placing without realizing it.
I can bet you have all sorts of ideas stored in your phone’s note app. Many apps can be used for note-taking from Evernote to notion and even your phone note app. But the most successful people and well–known practitioners of the craft tend to go for physical books.
The physical act of writing things down helps the thought process and elicits more robust brain activity.
There is something visceral about using a physical book and scribbling through the pages with ideas. For instance, this study suggests that writing has some benefits over typing. For example, movements involved in handwriting allow for greater memorization while inducing a better mood during the writing process. In addition to that, writing in a physical book encourages focus by eliminating the distractions that come with using electronic gadgets — It’s just your pen and the paper.
One challenge people have with commonplace books is staying consistent with using them. You have to form the habit of revisiting the notes and exploring your ideas.
In summary, it’s important to have a system or tool for recording your ideas on the go. It may be via digital and analog means. Just, remember that:
1. To keep a commonplace book, all you need is a blank book and a pen or pencil
2. The manner of organizing the items is entirely up to you. I found that having a date appended to the items works fine for me.
3. If you already use an app, you should consider including a physical book in the mix and making it your primary repository.
Thank you for reading.
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Good luck and stay productive.
