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Three questions to ponder about

11 08 06 - 09:36 - Bookmark this post

I always wanted to use the word "ponder" in a blogpost, for obvious Pinky and the Brain reasons... :-)

But during my time off, I had some encounters with situations in which I thought to myself: "Hmmm...now how would a true blackbelt Lifehacker wrestle himself through these issues?" So instead of trying to find all the answers myself, I turn to the wisdom of the crowd. My valuable readers, can you help me answering these questions?

1. I use little 3x5 indexcards in my car to quickly jot down some notes or thoughts. For instance an errand I need, a thought about a client, some music I hear on the radio or an interesting URL on a billboard. These are not always thoughts I need to process as soon as possible but every now and again it does. This is where the problem comes in. I need to find some sort of way to make myself remember to take the indexcards out of the car and into the office or my home. Where I can process them. Since they are between the driver and passenger seat in a little stack, it's easy to overlook the notecards. And yes, I confess, my mind plays tricks on me sometimes. I have moments where I open up a browser to check a website, but when my browser is fully opened, I forgot what I wanted to do. You can call it short term memory loss, or perhaps there is some sort of medical term for it. But it makes me forget sometimes even the simplest things. Like taking an indexcard out of my car and into my inbox. Any thoughts on how I can help myself remembering this?
2. Next up: Losing stuff. Now, The Dave always calls everything around us "Stuff". The word itself already has a feeling of things you don't always need to keep. You really have to clean up sometimes and for instance throw out three months of magazines and some old post. But why, for the love of god, WHY!!!! Why is it that three days after you threw out those magazines you haven't read in 6 months, you absolutely need something you know you read in one of those magazines? Why do you need some information from that one PDF you just digitally shredded from your harddrive and even GetDataBack can't save it anymore? Is this some sort of universal law or am I the only one who can't find an equilibrium between saving and deleting "stuff"?
3. Very simple last question: What is the best time for you to clean your Inbox? Digital or analog, doesn't matter. Is it in the morning? During lunch? Evening? And why?

I am very curious how my wise crowd answers these questions!

1. O wow, you use 3×5 indexcards, sounds like a quite organized system to me. I’m mostly surrounded by all different sizes of papers, used enveloppes, post-its, edges of papers etc. etc. I write things down & on organized days I put the pieces in my old fashioned paper agenda. From there they will land on my desk some day. And there they get lost or get somewhere in my analog/digital ‘system’.

The browser-thing sounds familiar too. I tended to go really angry with myself when that happened. Accusing myself of a lack of focus etc. But slowely I’m getting over that. Lately I notice that if I really search for something specific it takes me a lot of time, but I find the most interesting & inspiring stuff when I’m not searching. Serendipity rules! If it is really important you will find what you’re looking for & if you know that some information is on your indexcards and you know that these cards are in your car: just go out & get them! And enjoy that little moment extra by taking of a big breath of fresh air & and a laugh @ yourself because you forgot the cards again, it’s just so you! ;o) Don’t create problems that are not there. And if it’s getting really annoying, maybe you could get some kind of alarm in your car, like the one which reminds you to put out the lights…

2. Why do you need that specific information? You know that you read it somewhere, so the basic information is still in your head. That gives you the opportunity to look for it on the WWW for example… Confince yourself of the fact that you will always get the information you need on the time that you need instead of getting worried or endless searching for deleted stuff. (or stop deleting & throwing things away)

3. The best time to clean my inbox is the moment I start doing it. There’s no schedule, no structure, not a specific moment. Mostly I’ve better things to do ;o)

Well, I’ve pondered enough for now.
GeeSpot - 11 08 06 - 15:09

I’m replying because you used Pinky and the Brain as a reason to say “ponder” – you rock! :) Poit.

1. Put the index cards right next to your cell phone or wallet. I’m sure you don’t forget those, right? Or leave yourself a voicemail message through K7.net so you can process those messages through your email (via Lifehack)

I’m a neat freak in my car, so if a stray paper or card is lying around, I’m pretty good at just sticking it in my backpack for future processing.

Note: I tried to make “Lifehack” a link using the Textile markup, but the comment preview didn’t display it correctly. Weird.

2. I have no idea. I’m just glad I haven’t felt like that after purging through stuff. That’d bug me a lot, too. Like GeeSpot said above me, I figure if I know a few good search terms, I can scour the internet.

If it’s important enough to me, I’ll type a memo in Palm Desktop and sync to my Tungsten E. I prefix the title with a category within brackets. (e.g. [Computer], [Car], [Finance])

3. I’d say whenever you feel you have the most energy and focus. I’ve been processing my inbox in the morning.
Bryan Villarin - 11 08 06 - 15:32

I can’t answer the other questions but for stuff I hear on the radio or think of while I’m driving I tend to call my voicemail at work to make a note to myself. The blinking light on my work phone has not failed me yet. Index cards, voice notes on my cell phone, etc. have failed me at one point or another.
Alexia - 11 08 06 - 15:57

Interesting answers folks, thanks!

@Geespot: You have a point: Don’t create problems that aren’t there and start cleaning when you feel doing it. Very true. Make sme think that there is no best system and you need to find your own style

@Bryan: Even worse, the indexcards are under my cellphone when in the car (I should take a picture to clarify…) and even then I sometimes forget them…

@Alexia: voicemail at work…that’s an interesting one I should try out. I wonder if I can get it to work…
Frank Meeuwsen - 11 08 06 - 18:00

Sorry – it’s just “ponder” not ponder about.
You ponder something, you don’t ponder about something.
:-)
Leonard Bick - 12 08 06 - 06:34

Tips for the experienced shorttime memory loss with the index cards in your car is to make a ritual from it… I once forgot my key, to avoid making this mistake again I have a ‘ritual’ not to close the door behind me, before I am consiously aware of the key actually being in my hand. This is something your brain is able to do at the right place and at the right time.
Henk Gijzen - 11 01 08 - 20:26