When we are overwhelmed by tasks and don’t know where to start, the easiest way to get a clear visualization is by performing a brain dump. Brain dumping, in short, is the act of getting all of your thoughts and worries onto a list to make it much easier to determine the next task to be done. If we set new goals or have a big project to work on and we feel overwhelmed, a brain dump will make everything clear.
When do we need to brain dump?
Whenever you feel overwhelmed by tasks and worries. Like when you can’t concentrate on a task at hand or you have too many tasks and don’t know where to start. When you’re in an intensive focus session and you find a thought that is constantly popping into your head, make sure to write it down. This serves as a reminder to think about it when you’re on a break. That way you can get back to focusing on the task at hand without the same distracting annoying thought. If you are beginning a new project and don’t know how to start, write down all the things you need to do in order to conduct the project. After, prioritize the tasks and start on the most important one.
How exactly do I brain dump?
-
Write it down
Every single thought and task in your head needs to jump out of your mind and into a list that you can see with your eyes. Write every single recurring thought. Use a pen for this, because there is no erasing. There might be a thought that you accidentally write down, but you don’t think it is important. Every thought is important. If you write it on the paper by accident, there must have been a reason. It was in your head and now it’s out, make sure it stays that way. If you erase it, you then give the thought permission to distract you from other tasks.
-
Organize
Now that you can see your thoughts, you need to edit them. Every thought that is meaningless, x-out. Every thought that is unimportant, x-out. Now put the rest into categories.Some categories include:
Some categories include:
- Professional
- Personal
- Finance
- Goals
- Nutrition/fitness
- Friends and family
- Etc.
Be creative with the categories, the more precise you make them, the clearer your next step will be.
-
Put it on your phone
The point of this is to keep the list with you all day. This way you will always know what to do next. No longer will you wait in line for your coffee, flipping through all the tasks in every aspect of your life just to find the one needed to start your workday. Now, you can determine what you need to do by looking at your prioritized tasks underneath “Professional”.
-
Schedule your tasks
Now that you have a long to-do list, you need to get focused. Every day, find three tasks to perform. Do not overwhelm yourself again with taking on more than three tasks, (you already came this far, don’t go back to stressing yourself out). Find a time of your day when you can execute the three individual tasks. When you are working, and a new thought pops in your head, write it down. When you are done, categorize it, prioritize it, and then get it done.
How I Have Used Brain Dumping
I started this blog with an unclear vision of my first post. I had too many ideas for the subjects I wanted to talk about. So, I did a brain dump. Every topic I had in my head, I wrote down and at the end I was much clearer. I came up with the idea of writing about “brain dumping” by doing a brain dump. Also, another way I do brain dumping is while I do my homework. I work in 25-minute increments and keep a blank sheet of paper next to me while I work. Every thought I have that has nothing to do with my homework, I write down. During my break, I go crazy with the list of thoughts. I actively think about what’s on my list and I don’t hold back. When 5 minutes are up, I go back to working for 25 minutes. This is a repeating process until the work is finished.
