Whatever is the opposite of : "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People"

I didn't plan to write blogs based on debris from other blogs...but debris  seems to be a recurring theme in my life.  The blog about my desk...inspired the blog about the river...which inspired the blog about 10 blogs I didn't write...and has now inspired this blog.

No, I'm not going to finish clearing off my desk.  Although I should.  And by the way, for you organized types who don't relate to any of this:  Don't stop reading just because you don't identify with disorganization and clutter.  Instead, look at your own clean desk in the spirit of gratitude and say to yourself:  "Wow, am I lucky that is not MY life!"  That's what I would say.  If I wasn't me and wasn't surrounded by debris.

Which is still covering my desk, where I am right now...coming back to debris again, from the river analogy--or metaphor---or whatever an English teacher would call it--- breaking out of the icebound river with a rush of creativity. 

In real life, the ice breaks and the river flows and spring starts and that's it.  No one stands there on the banks of the river trying to catch the ice and debris in their bare hands.  Which is what I'm trying to do--capture some of the debris (i.e.thoughts) that are exploding out of the icebound river (i.e.my brain) and hang onto them, at least long enough to see if they're worth using in a blog.

Try capturing thoughts for blogs when you can't remember what you ate for dinner.  An organized person might have a notebook or scratch pad specifically for this purpose.  But my mind, filled with millions of thoughts, doesn't come up with that one.  So I end up writing ideas on scraps of paper.

Even on my computer there is no organized system to collect my thoughts.  Which didn't seem like a big deal until my son Daniel sat down at my computer one day and pointed out that my filing system was a mess.  But I'm not going there right now.  Because actually I was going someplace else: to my car.

The car is invariably the place where I get most of my best ideas.  (Doesn't everyone?) So just as the state of Calfornia forced me to buy a hands-free device for my phone, my blog forced me to buy a tape recorder for my thoughts.  And I've actually remembered to use it. 

You organized types would probably transfer your thoughts onto the computer every time you get out of the car.  (But this is MY dysfunctional life and you can deal with your obsessive-compulsive issues on your own blogs.)  You won't be surprised to learn that I do NOT transfer my thoughts daily.  I've kept the recorder in the car for weeks and speak into it all the time.  And to be completely honest, I have never even thought about the tape recorder for one instant once I get out of the car.  So all those potentially brilliant blogs remained there, trapped inside. (Now do you see why I went back to the ice on the river?) 

A few days ago, when I last used the recorder, it occurred to me that besides putting my thoughts INTO the machine, it might be a good idea to take them OUT.   And today is the day.  I set aside several hours just to listen to myself talk...and to put those thoughts on the computer (where I still don't have a filing system).  I not only set aside the time, but when the time came, I took action.  I went out to the car to get my little tape recorder.  Only it's not there where I thought it was. 

So instead of using these hours to CAPTURE what is on the machine, I have just used the same hours to FIND the machine.  Which I still haven't found.  Which could potentially remain un-found until I un-plug my blog.  Or clear out my car.  Whichever comes first.   

Welcome to my world.  Especially you organized types.

Comments

[Reissy]

Loved this! My best thinking is also in the car!! I write them down on anything that's available. Next best thinking places? In the shower and while i'm walking. Haven't figured out how to get those last two on paper ...