I have had all these ideas swirling in my head about what I want to write, and then, of course, when I finally make myself sit down and start writing, my mind goes blank.

Does that ever happen to you?

Do you have ideas that you are so looking forward to sitting down and hashing out, only to find that, when you do, the ideas have somehow escaped you?

This is why I usually carry a pen and a notebook with me — so I can, at least, jot down the thoughts as they come and plan a fixed time to draw upon them later, when I have a moment to sit and reflect in silence. But lately, I’ve forgotten my habit of carrying my pen and notebook, and the result has been a bit of confusion and frustration as I try to think back to that moment when I was sitting on the U Bahn (subway car) or walking up the escalator and piece together what I was thinking.

Whether you have children, or whether you are traveling or just living your busy every day life, this practice of carrying a pen and notebook with you is especially important, because you just never know when the idea is going to hit you and when you’re going to be able to follow up with that idea again.

I have seriously sat at a restaurant or in church (sorry, Pastor!) and written the entire outline for a blog post and come home and written it with the exact flow and thoughts that were running through my head hours before because I took the time to do so.

So, today, my habits are going back to ones that serve me and my readers. I’m carrying my notebook again and hopefully, I’ll be able to remember what it was I wanted to say and be able to say it in a way that is clear and meaningful.

Tell me what your writing strategy is. I’d love to hear it!