You might have heard the expression bed, bath, bus? I’m not sure where it came from, but probably from the philosopher Wittgenstein. The point is that people often get ideas or solutions to problems in these situations. When you’re taking a shower, lie in bed or ride the bike. The commonality in these situations is that one rarely has access to pen and paper. It might be a trivial idea, or one that gives you the next million. We all know how painful it is to lose an idea. To remember ideas that occur whenever and wherever is in my opinion, one of the most vital areas of use for the memory techniques. Even I and other memory champions use these techniques when we have a good idea. It is too risky to just let the thoughts fly. This winter you will get more examples of what I use the memory techniques for.

Speaking of bus, I was on the bus to Oslo S and thought, if everyone is playing Wordfeud and Angry Birds on the bus, will that not result in fewer ideas? What is your experience – are you getting fewer ideas as you fill your downtime with your smartphone?