What happens when many ideas are going on in the mind at the same time, and how to deal with such tricky situations

It is something I have experienced since my fledgling years as a writer. It is something that continues to affect me even though I have learnt to take care of over the years. To a certain extent, at least. It is something I have no doubt anyone who writes on a regular basis is afflicted with.

A restless mind comes with its own set of problems, and it is not practically possible to find a solution to each one of them. The human mind, besides being a storehouse of information, is also the starting point for Execution. As such, it is palpable that there is a myriad of thoughts going on in the mental space at any given point in time.

However, it is humanly not possible to work on all of them at the same time, or for that matter, within a given timeframe. Therein lies the problem.

Any person born with a restless mind will be able to explain the accompanying complications. Being one myself, let me attempt to do it.

While working on the execution of a particular thought process, I come up with other ideas that not only seem imminently workable but also equally worthy of execution.

To make it a point to note them down is a good thing, and I do that, but it is not necessarily smart. It ensures I keep coming back to these new ideas. They always keep me in two minds. Amid this dilemma, it is the execution of the original thought process that suffers.

The current project is expectedly a priority, but the new ideas demand immediate attention as well. Writers like yours truly are perennially greedy when it comes to ideas that can be translated into something tangible. As such, new ideas come naturally, as does the urge to execute them. At the same time, the enthusiasm that accompanies these instant ideas is something that is quick to dissipate if urgent action is not taken.

That being said, working on multiple ideas simultaneously is not a pragmatic approach. Besides the fact that it leads to a lot of confusion and a haphazard course of action, it doesn’t even guarantee tangible results.

The choice between finishing an ongoing project or jumping onto a new one is a catch-22 situation for a creative mind. Moreover, the final decision is always accompanied by a tinge of regret. In retrospect, it feels like an opportunity lost.

There’s another aspect to it. Putting aside an idea that’s on the verge of completion, and switching to another that is more immediate, feels like giving the mind cells a much needed break. However, such departures are not something I will advise.

As a writer, I do believe I have a certain responsibility towards the readers. The best chance I have at meeting these expectations is by being focused on one draft at a time, and finishing it at one go.

The process from ideation to execution remains subjective, and to a large extent, individualistic. However, from personal experience, I have deduced there is the probability of a few possible outcomes of Simultaneous Thoughts. Making note of this, I believe, will help all writers, more so the aspiring ones.

1. Status quo reigns supreme

It’s a fact that multiple ideas ensure multiple problems. In most cases, these problems, instead of leading to a satisfying solution, create further problems.

As such, the mind stays in a state of perennial confusion and indecisiveness. The likelihood of progressing as regards the execution of the ideas remains on the lower side. It is the status quo that reigns supreme.

Even if the mind is aware of all the ideas, it finds it difficult to process them into tangible results.

In the final analysis, the eventual outcome suffers. Despite the overflow of creative juices, the resultant concoction is a bitter one, not only difficult to savor but also one that leaves behind a terrible aftertaste.

Award-winning columnist and author Dana Shavin considers having ‘too many ideas’ as one of the most common causes of writer’s block.

2. The barest minimum

This approach is the most pragmatic of them all.

While one is aware that executing all the ideas is practically impossible, the effort is towards ensuring the barest minimum. As a consequence, the focus narrows down considerably.

Only one, or at best two, ideas get executed while most others go on the back-burner. If fewer makes you happy, this approach may not dissuade you from working on multiple ideas simultaneously, as you are a lot more certain.

In this post author, Kate M. Colby lists ways to zero down on the specific, and choose a particular idea, when there are simultaneous thoughts going on in the mind.

While most of the ideas consigned to the back-burner never see the light again, there’s a slight chance of you coming back to one of them at a later stage.

That being said, the key is to have one primary project. The secondary ones can be retained only if it is practically possible. In this post author, Stephanie O’Brien explains the method to juggle multiple writing projects, based on her experiences.

3. Fortune favors the eternal optimists

Hope floats… So there’s absolutely no point in giving up on it altogether.

It may require a touch of good fortune, but there indeed is the probability of more of those thoughts getting translated into something tangible. It happens in the rarest of cases, but a possibility is there, nonetheless.

It not only depends on the ability of the mind to retain the core idea but also the availability of someone who can give such drafts a second look, and the writer a second opinion. In this blog Breanne Weber elaborates on the importance of a second opinion.

Discussing with peer groups can ensure further clarity in some cases, if not all. It is all about having another perspective. On the flip side, there will be occasions when these perspectives will ensure more confusion than a solution.

As such, the final decision as regards the execution aspect should always be the writer’s alone. It is writers who need to adjust to their preferences accordingly.

There have been occasions where I have jotted down such impromptu ideas and come back to it immediately after completing the existing assignment, with the hope of completing at least some of them. I discuss these ideas with people I trust, more often than not, to understand if it is ringing a bell or not.

If it resonates, I get working at it with immediate effect. In fact, such an urgency in approach has ensured a certain maximization when it comes to execution. I have succeeded in giving multiple ideas a proper structure. Besides, working on the final draft, it becomes apparent if it is worth publishing or it is to be discarded.

Even as I am writing this, I am also working on the execution of a few other drafts. I have no doubt that I will be able to complete at least a couple of them. If this doesn’t ensure hope, nothing will.

4. The worst-case scenario

Now that I have explained the best scenario above, let me also make you to have a look at the other side.

This is something that usually happens when ideas are completely different from one another. It creates doubt in the mind and affects the execution aspect altogether.

In the worst-case scenario, all the ideas suffer. In a bid to make something out of all the ideas, you end up working a little on each one of them without actually contemplating the further course of action. The diverse the topics are, the more complicated it gets. The end result is a disastrous one.

To put it bluntly, if at all this happens it is palpable that all the drafts are subsequently discarded or conveniently forgotten. The likelihood of you jumping into a completely new idea altogether is very high.

The inability to translate the myriad of thoughts into words haunts for a while. It is something a writer may or may not regret in the long run, defending on the type of person he/she is. It is a sad wastage of thoughts, nonetheless. Dejected?

Don’t be. The multi-faceted Leigh Anne Jasheway suggests nine simple tips for overcoming the problem of too many ideas. You can try what works for you the best.

To sum it up…

Having explored all the possible scenarios has hopefully helped us get a lot of clarity, as also the best solutions available at our disposal.

From a broader perspective, it is always advisable to work on one idea at a time. Simultaneous thoughts can be jotted down and one can come back to it if time permits, and if it still seem of interest. The self-doubt element will always remain, as best-selling author Ruthanne Reid explains here. However, it is not something that cannot be taken care of.

That being said, to let that affect the execution aspect is tantamount to committing hara-kiri. It’s up to you, as an individual, to not only take control of the overall situation but also make maximum utilization of the creative elements of your brain cells. Having a desire deep within, of harnessing the full potential of one’s mind and its thoughts, helps considerably.

In the final analysis, execution of simultaneous thoughts is all about ensuring a perfect combination of planning and prudence, without letting go of the desire.

Simultaneous Thoughts… And Their Possible Outcomes was originally published in The Writing Cooperative on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.