Taking notes while you’re out running

In a ideal world good ideas arrive just at the right time, when you’re sat at a desk with a pen in hand and paper to write on (or writing software to take notes in). But the reality is that it doesn’t always work this way.

I have a lot of ideas while I’m out running. Running clears my head, it’s a great time think. But it‘s a problem.

How do you write your ideas down without stopping?

Maybe you don’t bother. You could just run faster. Maybe you’ll make it home before you forget your idea. Sometimes this works. And as a nice little bonus you usually record a pretty quick run.

But if your brain is in overdrive and the ideas keep coming, it doesn’t work so well. Ideas start stacking up, you replace one with another and soon enough you’ve forgotten all the ”good” ones.

So here’s a dirt simple approach, which you might have more luck with. It involves an iPhone (sorry Android friends, this is where we part ways).

1. Buy a mobile phone armband, they’re super cheap and make you look like you know what you’re doing
2. Set up Siri, so you can voice activate with ”Hey Siri“
3. Install Notes app, then use the command ”Hey Siri, take a note”
4. Siri wakes up and asks you what you’d like to say
5. You speak your idea and Siri creates a new note
6. You carry on thinking up ideas while you run

I told you it was simple. I like to keep it simple.

Now, if this worked with Notion then we’d really be in business. I wouldn’t have to transfer notes manually and that would be awesome. Maybe that time will come.

But for now, it’s a pretty good solution and a small price to pay to remember an idea which could turn into something great. Or not.