Never *EVER* file anything in your head. It’s the first step to falling behind. Most GTD users know that already, but have on occasion had to file a thought in their head because they lacked the means to capture it at the moment. It’s important to have the *right* capture tools within reach at all times, not necessarily just one.

If you’re driving and you get a thought to capture, that nice GTD Notetaker Wallet(R) in your purse or back pocket won’t help you; you can’t take your eyes off the road to reach it, much less write something down. But if you have a small digital voice recorder on a lanyard around your neck (like I do when I drive), it’s easy to grab it and record a memo about the thought without having to take your eyes off the road. When I first started GTD I had a lot to clean out of my head and many of those thoughts happened while driving; my voice recorder was my most critical capture tool back then.

If you’re regularly getting (and losing) ideas and thoughts in the shower, go to a dive shop, buy an underwater writing slate and hang it on your shower wall. Grab it and write down those ideas as they come to you, then dry it off and toss it into your in-basket.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Where are you getting and losing ideas because you can’t capture them? While cooking? While driving? While in the shower? While on the toilet (not kidding)? What tools do you need to put in those locations so you capture those thoughts outside of your head?