What to do about distracting yet helpful thoughts?

[lotusseed52]

Hello everyone,

What tips do you recommend for dealing with distracting, yet helpful thoughts that come up when let's say you're doing homework or something that needs concentration ?

Like I would remember suddenly I needed to do something I planned before, or maybe even the material I'm reading links to other random thoughts like "ha, that reminds me of...." Or even the great epiphany moments when your mind realized something and you fear you might lose it!

I understand that it's good to let these thoughts past and focus back on your task... but is there a way to take note of it so you don't forget.

I guess, do you have a notepad next to you and quickly write down these thoughts?... yet I write so much that I forgot to get back on track.....

Ahhhh.... to be the calm within the hurricane of thoughts... can be a little hard...

Thanks

[Mondrian]

I too have a lot of thoughts. I've started keeping a notebook again after not doing so for a while.

This can have the benefit of allowing me to get on with something else (often other thoughts!) in the knowledge that I have made a note of the other thing that I don't want to forget. It also helps me to come back to thoughts and ideas I have had in the past to see what I was thinking then and to get some benefit from rereading that in the present. The writing process of more complex investigative chains of thought also allows me to work out in conversation with my notebook what is going on in a given area like some aspect of my life.

I've heard it said, somethng like, that Richard Branson can't understand why more people don't write their thoughts down and he says he would never have been such a success without his notebooks.

I currently prefer the A5 hardback notebooks and a nice easy-flowing pen.

[legendarymidget]

The notebook thing sounds like a good idea, I might try it.

[ssandra]

Stop thinking of those thoughts as helpful...

They aren't. If they truly are, you will think them again in the appropriate time. But the reason why you don't look back at the notebook is because you realize that it actually doesn't really matter after all...

So... let go of the notion that those thoughts are important, and just let them go. The more importance you give to those thoughts the more they'll come up. If you consider them unimportant, slowly but surely they won't come up anymore.

Good luck!