Idea Hoarding: The Turbo-Thinker’s© Dilemma

At Mind Coach, I often see a phenomenon I call idea hoarding in my high-achieving, Turbo Thinker© clients. It may look like 87 open tabs crowding a screen. Or thoughts scribbled haphazardly on Post-it notes plastering the office walls. We are driven by a fear of losing something potentially valuable - an idea that might be useful or important one day.

We may cling to a chipped coffee mug because, just maybe, we might one day find the superglue and repair it. For Turbo Thinkers©, we hoard ideas for similar reasons. Tormented by visions of revisiting that spark, building upon it, transforming it into brilliance. The possibilities seem limitless, so wecannot discard even half-baked notions. And when shiny new concepts captivate us, we struggle to let go. Combine that with a fear of losing the idea and forgetting it - this makes it impossible to let any go, especially when out of sight means out of mind for us. We want to keep all our ideas visible somehow.

But this hoarding comes at a cost. Our spaces become cluttered - not just our desks and homes, but our very minds. How can we gain insight and take actions when our thoughts swirl chaotically, weighed down by so much stuff? Could decluttering our minds allow us to be truly present, observing each moment with kindness, curiosity, and gratitude? Might a calm clarity emerge?

So how might creative problem solvers like us tame the idea deluge? When an intriguing thought surfaces, could we pause before impulsively saving it and ask - is this truly important or time-sensitive? If not, is it possible to let it go? If we must capture it, what about parking it temporarily? But then, what is the use of parking an idea if it will just sit, rusting in that rain of mental clutter?

Or could we appreciate ideas fully, connect them to our work while they inspire us, then pass favorite ones along to others who might enjoy them? Best of all, because they take no physical space, we could toss ideas without guilt once their spark fades. Perhaps that is the thrilling freedom of ideation- we can dump concepts without remorse when their purpose is served.

I had one client make an “idea parking doc” for weekly brainstorms. She spent focused time releasing, gifting, or deleting what no longer served. Over time, she discovered most ideas lost their luster, their relevance. Yet by decluttering this way, she felt lighter, more fulfilled in the gift of letting go.

The beauty of your turbo-charged brain is that it’s a perpetual idea generator. So can you trust that it will produce more brilliance when you truly need it? How can we build confidence that our curiosity and creativity will connect us to even better ideas when the time is right? What if you simply unlocked the power of your strengths, without fearing your “weaknesses”? For Turbo Thinkers©, constant ideation is a gift...if we master curation’s art. Could that allow you to design your dream life by letting go of what weighs you down? The freshest insights await!