Some people sense a surge of guilt when they purchase a new pair of shoes or a new set of clothes. Others may feel this same kind of guilt when they acquire yet another gadget. Then, there are those who may experience the same guilt when they indulge themselves with chocolates or fastfood.
Me? Well, I love ‘em shoes, clothes, gadgets, chocolates and food. But, I think I’ve learned to manage my cravings for them over the years. Sure, I still give in to impulse buying every now and then. But, I don’t do it that often so I can always find some justification. 
However, there is one big source of guilt I have that I find difficult to curtail. It’s a source of great joy – and absolute frustration.
And they’re… IDEAS.
Yes, blasted ideas.
They come to me in REM sleep, the shower, while caring for the kids, or in the midst of doing some other task…
I begin to think of possibilities. Do research. Come up with lists and plans.
Then, I get excited. Obsessed, even.
If there is such a thing as an ideaholic, then that would be me.
Mind you, they’re not always great ideas. I think a lot of them are crap, really.* 
But, when they get a hold of me, I feel like I’m in the verge of… Well, you know that feeling of pure anticipation and reckless abandonment? That’s how I feel when I come across a new idea.
But, what’s so wrong about having ideas?
Well, for the most part, they’re great. It’s how I come up with blog posts, projects, business concepts, paintings, crafts…
The problem comes when I need to complete lesson plans and 2,500-word essays for major Graduate School assignments – and I end up researching about world-building and language creation… and beginning to write novels that rack up about 5,000 words (without even starting Chapter One!) instead.
The idea-generation begins to bug me when I ought to be focusing on finishing a project… and I end up getting all distracted with another project. So, instead of… say, focusing on writing A novel during my “spare time”, I end up starting about SIX novels… And, I end up running around in circles.
Or, I end up having so many ideas, I don’t know which one to work on first. Or, I end up second guessing myself.
It also starts becoming a hassle when I have yet to spend a couple of hundred dollars (or more!) on books or idea-related items that I end up pursuing very rarely… or hardly at all. Not that that’s too bad, as I do enjoy skill/hobby-collecting.
And yes, it may all be a part of being a Renaissance Soul. I already said that I’ve been learning how to accept all that… and embrace the whole concept.
That’s why recently, I had another idea (surprise, surprise!). Instead of fighting the whole “idea overload” thing, I’ll give in to it. To a point, of course. So, in my next post, I hope to share part of this system that I developed on how I plan to manage my ‘ideaholism’.
But, before I share all that, perhaps, you can share with me YOUR own system for managing your ideas. What do you do with them? How do you act upon them?
Also, since we’re on the subject of guilty pleasures, perhaps you’d like to share yours?
Image source: SXC (slightly edited)
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Shai, it is great to hear I am not the only person who has hundreds of ideas during REM sleep! I also get interesting ideas whilst in the shower, whilst working, whilst walking down the street, and sometimes whilst reading blogs around the ‘net.
I’ve had a few interesting ideas that I have written about on my own journal. The best yet has been a photography-job where home-gardens are photographed from an aerial level. All that the photographer needs in addition to their standard gear is a 30foot ladder and tripod to reach the same height. Getting clients would be interesting, but the marketing on this would be about focusing on preserving the history of our homes for future generations.
I now look forward to reading about ‘ideaholism’!
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Shai Coggins reply on November 16th, 2009:
Stephen: Yay, ideaholics power!
That idea you just shared does sound interesting. I wonder if you’ve done more on it?
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I bought an A5 2-ring binder and downloaded a planner from DIY Planner (http://www.diyplanner.com/templates/official/classic). I then cut up some coloured dividers (into A5 size) and labelled each to separate out all my lists and projects and ideas and inspiration pictures based on specific categories (yarn craft, kids toys, gardening, cooking, sewing etc.) I printed out loads of copies of the DIY planner pages I liked and put them in all the sections so I can break up my ideas and my actual projects, and then refer to it on a daily basis. This works for me because I am very visual and an obsessive list maker, so not only are all my lists in one place but if I flip through the folder my mind is stimulated by all that I see.
My guilty pleasures? Aquiring new gadgets (doesn’t happen very often) and adding fabric to my stockpile (happens very often!)
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Shai Coggins reply on November 16th, 2009:
Hi, Melissa. Aaahh… you are sooo organised! I do love my lists, too, though (another guilty pleasure?!). And, definitely acquiring new gadgets is also a guilty pleasure that I don’t indulge that often. But, when I do…
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I have a file for future writing projects – I scribble down whatever scene or concept is bugging me, file it, and force myself back to my main projects.
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Shai Coggins reply on November 16th, 2009:
Rachel: That is definitely a very disciplined way of getting things down. I’m trying to work on that, and it works at times. Unfortunately, not always. Some pesky ideas just won’t go until I give in one way or another. Even if just a tiny bit!
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My best ideas always come to me at the most inconvenient times – usually in bed too. Being the little idealist I am, I eventually had to start carrying around tablets. I leave one small notepad in my nightstand, and also carrying one in my purse now (something I once teased my mother for doing). If I’m on my Macbook I add them to my To Do widget list on iGoogle.
I have to divide ideas into subsystems after that. Craft ideas for example get written on an index card, and then put in the little file box according to the time of year they are appropriate. Writing ideas I add to a dedicated page in the back of my journal since I carry that around often. With so many ideas coming and going, I often forget them before I get them written down! LOL
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Shai Coggins reply on November 16th, 2009:
Kari: You are one organised woman too! Sub-systems?!
Ah… but, I’m with you on having several notebooks all over the place. I’m almost always close to one too. ‘can’t live without them. 
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I’m with ya! I’ve started keeping a small notebook in my back pocket and jotting things down as they come to me. I can always expand upon the idea in a bigger format – but just a quick sketch and a note makes me much less nervous that I’ll “forget” something!
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Shai Coggins reply on November 16th, 2009:
Hi, Kim! Thanks for sharing.
Really find it interesting what kind of habits different ideaholics have.
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Hello Shai,
Phew , we can all come out of the closet now
And coz you mentioned it, i am an Ideaholic, too. I do come out with all these ideas – crazy ones, dumb ones, impossible ones. But once in a while i do think of smart ideas that actually makes some sense!
So don’t despair, ideas are good. And no, you never have to implement them all. I am an Engineer by profession. We have brainstroming sessions when analysing and designing – and we do need to come up with ideas. Well, i guess most of the dumb ones remain unspoken. Hehe.
Main point is, lots of ideas are good. We just have to learn to manage them – find the workable ones and use them for good! You seem to be on to this, already. If you want i can send you to some technical resources (not!). lol ..
Kharen
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Shai Coggins reply on November 16th, 2009:
Hi, Kharen! It’s so funny (and cool!) to hear about all these things from fellow ideaholics. And yeah, sure, send in some more technical resources and ideas.
Heh.
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I am SO with you on this! Can’t wait to see your solution!
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Shai Coggins reply on November 16th, 2009:
Hi, Jennie. I have all sorts of “solutions” to this. My latest one is the 60-Day-to-Something Plan. It’s sort of working. What about you? Any strategies you have?
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one great attribute of an idea that i love most is that they are dynamic
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Shai Coggins reply on November 16th, 2009:
dimaks: So, so true!
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