How to Capture, Store and Incorporate Big Ideas

capture store and incorporate big ideas

Big ideas come to us at different times. We might be driving or in the shower. We might be taking time off for a short get away or take a long drive to our destination. Our mind goes to big personal and professional growth and time to dream big. How we do capture, store and incorporate these big ideas? How do we move from idea to action? Here are three steps that make your ideas come to life.

 

Capture

A friend gives you the name of a perfect little house in Galveston. You are thinking of the pivot you want to make professionally. You might want to own a series of beach houses. Or maybe you want to start a service cleaning rental homes or delivering groceries to rental homes.  The first step is to capture your ideas, especially if you are a prolific idea generator. Capture is to write it down or keep it digitally. Your capture tool should be consistent and simple. Where do we capture this information?

  • Paper is easy to use.  Just grab a pad and pencil.  Many of us use post it notes. My favorite capture tool is an TUL notebook.
  • We can use Google docs, Siri or Alexa to add to your list. Our digital list can be One Note, Notes or any other digital app on a device. Using these digital tools you can search your notes to find specific information.
  • Be sure you have your capture tool with you as ideas spontaneously bubble up.
  • Use just one capture tool to keep all your information together.

 

Store

You are not necessarily acting on this information immediately so you need to store this information to find it later. Your information needs to move from capture to storage.

  • Use your weekly planning time to store information for retrieval. As part of Getting Things Done (GTD), there is “someday/maybe” as the place to store your ideas.
  • File folders, pocket folders and plastic envelopes can store your paper.  Remember to set up categories for your ideas. Be prepared for multiple folders, one for each idea.
  • Evernote notebooks, Notes folders and One Note give you the digital place to add your list. From here you can flush out more information as you research.
  • Edit these folders as your ideas come and go.

Incorporate

Strategic planning time is a routine that connects your stored ideas and incorporating these to create an action plan. You can retrieve your ideas and determine if you are ready to act or edit. This intentional kind of planning can happen monthly, semi-annually or yearly. Most naturally is occurs at New Year’s or Back to School when we think about change. A summer strategic planning time might be even better as this aligns with preparing for the fall.

Incorporating a new idea, big or small, is best accomplished with structure. Structure is setting your month, week and day up for research, tasks or projects with your new goal. Assigning a time to do this work helps you gain momentum and keep focused on the outcome.  If you have a full schedule, in order for this new work to be incorporated, something else must be edited.

 

 

Here are examples of big goals that I have seen happen with this work flow starting with capture to incorporate.  A family decides to turn their home into a rental and move to their previous rental. Another family visits Galveston each summer and after many years decides to purchase a beach home. A new entrepreneur begins a small business that grows to include all of her family working for her. Your personal and professional dreams can happen with a process to move forward with capturing, storing and incorporating big ideas.

How to Organize the Tools You Use

 

How to organize tools

With the uptick of home maintenance and repair, organizing your tools is becoming an important topic. There are a variety of tools to use regularly, as well as a variety of storage methods.

 

Assess your tools

Tools are a part of family memories. My husband owns tools handed down from his dad and grand dad, and passes these to our grand kids. That means there are many of the same tools and multiple tools doing the same job in our home.  I recommend grouping your tools together by use to know what you have and how many. We sorted these tools into what to keep and what to sell. Tools are a popular item to sell online. Now that these are grouped you are ready to think about how to store your items.

 

Quick Assess Storage: Tool Drawer

We want to tap a nail into the wall to hang a picture or unscrew a batter compartment quickly.  Having a tool drawer in your kitchen or laundry room would be the spot to store these tools.  The tools stored here are a hammer, two kinds of screw drivers of multiple size heads, and other frequently used tools.  Having a drawer organizer helps keep items together and organized. (Note: the pencil space is where I would store the tools.)

 

Container Store drawer organizer

 

Mobile Assess: Tool box

Mobile assess to multiple tools helps you complete a home repair.  A tool box has a variety of storage for a larger number of tools that you frequently use.  This box can be stored in the laundry room or garage on a shelf. Inside will be a shallow tray which can hold hardware with tools under the tray.  Many families create these small toolboxes for their kids as they start to drive to keep in their cars and as they head to college.

Container Store Tool Chest

 

Onsite Assess: Tool chest, Pegboard and Slat wall

If you want assess to a larger quantity of tools, you want a larger area to store your items.  The Tool chest has drawers to store a single type of tool, such as a drawer of multiple hammers or screwdrivers of different sizes.  Each drawer can be labeled on the front to share what is inside the drawer.  It is on wheels to move around your space.  This is best stored in the garage as it is a large item.

 

Sears Craftsman Tool Chest

Sears Craftsman Tool Chest

 

For those who have a work bench or wall for hanging tools, Pegboard and Slat wall are outstanding ways to see your tools. These require installation however the benefits are that everyone knows what tools you have, where to find them and where to return them.  Often tools that are family shared are easily stored this way.

 

Home depot slat wall

Home Depot Slat Wall

Our family was fortunate to have a master craftman’s, also known as Papaw, who create an amazing Pegboard system in our garage. We have had this system for years and we all know where to get the hammer and return it.  We love to share it with those who come in through our garage. Often people comment on it’s organization!

 

Home Peg Board system

Ellen’s Home Peg Board

 

With many home projects going on, it’s time to organize your tools to help you be efficient about your home repairs and maintenance.

How to Organize Kids’ Art and School Work

 

What to save and how to save your kiddo’s school work a common challenge for parents. The papers flood in weekly, there’s so many papers, and there is no time to review that papers. Handwritten stories are mixed in with worksheets. In May, a entire desk worth of supplies, papers and possibly yucky food comes how in a bag from school. For families with multiple kids, this is repeated over and over. Many of us are too busy to do something or too overwhelmed.  Help is here!

 

Define what is precious

Through many years of working with parents, it is hard to know what is defined as precious.  There are multiple scribbles, holiday place mats, spelling quizzes, prolific art work, macaroni necklaces and science boards.  There is a massive compilation of stuff! By defining what is precious before you begin helps you sort through the papers and stuff.

My definition of precious may not match your definition. It is an emotional attachment depending on many things.  Try to drill down this definition. Here are my thoughts.

  • Artwork that shows personality, effort, and originality.
  • Paper work that shows accomplishment and originality.

This gives you a lot of open ended options for you.  You can best decide with a little thought ahead of getting your work started.

 

Sort and edit

Sorting and editing are difficult. Many times it depends on how long it has been between the arrival of the papers, the amount of papers and the way you are sorting. Pace yourself and set up bins to sort into as a first pass on organizing.  Label the bins to be clear what goes where.

  • If your art is a combination of all your kiddos’ stuff, sort first into bins that are named by child.
  • Next group art by time period, such as pre-school, elementary, middle school and high school. Add summer camp and art school if necessary.
  • Assess how precious the art is for you to keep.

 

Organize and Display

There are many options to organize, display and share your kiddo’s art. It helps to know what you want as the end result. Your vision can guide what you keep and how you want to organize the materials that remain.

  • Take a photo or scan the keepsake and create a coffee table art book. This is by far the most fun and popular. It is easy to keep on a bookshelf.
  • Send art work and papers off to grandparents or other special family friends.
  • Keep the keepsakes in a large fed ex box by year in the top of a closet.
  • Keep the art in a portfolio under a bed, in the back of a closet.
  • For a monthly art rotation, set up a “clothesline” with 6 clothespins on an wall in their bedroom. Another Create a “gallery wall” in your kiddo’s room for an art display area.
  • Use a file tote for each child and a expandable folder for each school year.

 

Maintain Your Organization

Maintaining your organization takes practice. Start by gathering your kiddos’ art and papers each week in your Command Center. That is the hub of all active papers in your home. Have a slot for each kiddo’s stuff and have them drop it in weekly.  After a month, go over the items and share what was special. This is a great time to display or edit.  It prevents a year’s worth of editing at one time.  Items can be moved to an auxiliary space to keep until the end of the year. Each summer plan to create your special keepsake item or move all the items to archive storage.  If you are able to sort quarterly, that still keeps your routine together.

 

Apps to help

There are several options to help you with organizing your kiddos’ stuff. These work a variety of ways to help you document, scan and do the next steps.

 

What’s best about sorting, editing, and organizing these keepsakes is the joy you have in seeing your kids’ skills, strengths and talents!