Productivity tips: Capture!

Hey there!

I want to tell you about a little habit that I noticed my mom doing when I was growing up, but I haven’t really understood until recently. It might have seemed insignificant at the time, but looking back, it was actually the key to her productivity and organization. The secret was a simple unassuming tray. Whenever I had some school paperwork I needed her to sign, she would tell me to put it in her tray. Whenever she got the mail, straight to the tray it went. Everything went into this tray, but I could never remember it overflowing. Turns out, it was her way of capturing ideas and tasks, and she was periodically going through them to clear out the clutter. Little did I know that I was witnessing a powerful productivity habit in action.

Today, I want to talk to you about the importance of the capture habit and how it can transformed my productivity. The idea behind capture is simple - it's about getting things out of my head and into a system. It's about freeing up mental space so that I can focus on more important and creative thinking. The inbox is an important tool for this capture habit, as it’s a dumping ground for unsorted tasks and ideas. This greatly reduces the mental friction required to start capturing tasks.

So, what exactly do I capture? Well, anything really. I can capture ideas, tasks, events, and anything else that resonates with me. The key is to have a system in place to capture and organize these items effectively.

There are various ways to capture information. Sometimes I go old school and use pen and paper, or I go digital with note-taking apps, voice memos, or even pictures. Practically, I have a physical inbox in the form of a tray, where I place all of my unsorted capture items. This is what I learned from my mom. I also have digital inboxes for different apps that I use, such as my to-do list inbox and my Apple Notes inbox. This inbox system works wonders for keeping everything organized. Daily, I go back through my 3 different inboxes and I sort the captured ideas into my system.

Now, here's the real beauty of the capture habit - it frees up my mind for creative thinking. Your mind is not meant to be a storage device, constantly trying to remember every little detail. By capturing something as soon as it resonates with me, I ensure that no thought or task gets lost. This not only relieves the burden of trying to remember everything, but it also allows me to fully engage in creative thinking about those captured ideas. This habit has not only made me more reliable but has also significantly reduced my anxiety. I no longer fear losing track of valuable insights or tasks, allowing me to focus on more creative and meaningful work.

To wrap things up, developing the capture habit is one of my keys to maintaining productivity. By getting things out of my head and into a system, I free up mental space for creative thinking and reduce the burden of remembering everything. So, I encourage you to start capturing those ideas, tasks, and events today, and watch as your productivity soars.

As always, I love hearing from you. Reply to this email to let me know how the capture habit has transformed your productivity or if you have any other productivity tips to share. Until next time!

Take care,

Kevin

P.S. Challenge yourself by creating a physical or digital inbox where you can capture all your ideas, tasks, and events. Make it a habit to go through your inboxes at the end of each day and organize them according to your system. Trust me, you'll feel a weight lifted off your shoulders.

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