Method
How to do a brain dump
A brain dump is writing down everything that is on your mind, in one go, without sorting. Set a timer for fifteen minutes, go through the areas of your life with a list of prompts, and write every task, worry and idea down. Only then do you sort: do it, plan it, park it or drop it.
Why it works
Your head is good at thinking and deciding, and poor at keeping lists. An open task you have not written down tends to come back at odd moments: in the shower, at 3am, in the middle of a conversation. Psychologists E. J. Masicampo and Roy Baumeister published a study in 2011 in which simply making a concrete plan for an unfinished goal reduced how much that goal intruded on people's thoughts. A brain dump is the first half of that: you get everything out, so that you can make the plan.
It also shows you the real size of things. Twenty open loops feel like a hundred while they are in your head. On paper they are twenty lines, and half of them take two minutes.
The method in five steps
- Set a timer for fifteen minutesPaper, a notes app or a planner: it does not matter. What matters is that you stop sorting while you write.
- Write everything down, one line eachTasks, worries, ideas, things you are waiting for. "Dentist", "gutter", "reply to Sam" is enough. No full sentences.
- Use the prompts belowWhen you run dry, go through the areas of life one by one. Most people find another ten items this way.
- Sort each line into four pilesDo it now (under two minutes), plan it (give it a day), park it (someday, not now) or drop it (it no longer matters).
- Give the "plan it" pile a dayNot "this week" but Tuesday. Put no more than three important ones in the coming week; the rest gets a later day.
Prompts by area of life
| Area | Prompts |
|---|---|
| Home | Repairs, things that are broken, cleaning you keep putting off, the garden, the car, bins, decluttering |
| Paperwork | Bills, insurance, tax, the bank, subscriptions to cancel, forms for school or work, renewals |
| People | Someone to call back, birthdays, a visit you promised, a thank-you, a message you never answered |
| Family | School, clubs, appointments for the children or parents, presents, holidays to plan |
| Health | Doctor, dentist, optician, prescriptions, exercise you want to restart |
| Work | Emails you are carrying around, a conversation to have, a deadline, a course |
| Money | Savings, a large purchase, a refund that has not arrived, something to sell |
| Free time | Books, a trip, a hobby, someone you want to see just for fun |
| Waiting for | Anything you are waiting on from someone else: a quote, a reply, a parcel, a refund |
What to do with the list afterwards
A brain dump only helps if the list goes somewhere you trust. If it stays on a loose sheet of paper, your head will keep checking it. Three rules keep it working:
- One place. Everything goes into one list or one app, not into three notebooks and a sticky note.
- A day, not a heap. A task without a day stays a worry. Give it a day, even a provisional one, and move it if needed.
- A weekly look. Once a week, add what is new and clear what is done. That is the weekly reset.
A quick example
| Line | Pile | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Reply to Sam about Saturday | Do it now | Two-minute message |
| Gutter leaking at the back | Plan it | Ask for a quote on Tuesday |
| Car insurance renewal | Plan it | Compare on Wednesday evening, 30 min |
| Dentist check-up | Plan it | Call on Monday at 9 |
| Learn Italian | Park it | Look again in January |
| Refund from the airline | Waiting for | Check on the 15th |
| Clear out the shed | Plan it | Saturday, one hour |
| Gran's birthday present | Plan it | Order by Thursday |
| That conversation with my manager | Plan it | Ask for 20 minutes on Friday |
| New running shoes | Park it | When the old ones wear out |
| Cancel the magazine | Do it now | Two minutes online |
| Repaint the hallway | Drop it | Not this year, and that is fine |
Common mistakes
- Sorting while you write. It slows you down and you start judging. Write first, sort later.
- Planning everything for tomorrow. A brain dump is not a to-do list for one day. Most lines get a later day or go on the park list.
- Doing it once. The first brain dump is the biggest. After that, ten minutes a week keeps your head clear.
How SortYourMind does it
Dump your head, the app does the sorting
SortYourMind is built around the brain dump. Say or type what is on your mind to SyMon, one thing after another, and every line gets the right theme by itself: the gutter goes to House, the dentist to Health. Give it a day and a priority in one tap, and the app plans it in your free time around your calendar.
- Every task gets a theme by itself as you add it
- Priority 1 to 5 in one tap, a day with a swipe
- Waiting for reply in one place
- Once a week a calm MindSweep (#SortYourSunday) to add and clear
Everything included, no card needed. Then you decide. Works in the browser on any device.
Questions
How long should a brain dump take?
Fifteen minutes for the writing, ten for the sorting. The first one can take longer because so much has piled up. After that, a weekly ten-minute version is usually enough.
Paper or app?
Whatever you will actually use. Paper is quick to start; an app helps when the list has to turn into a plan with days and reminders. What matters is that everything ends up in one place.
What is the difference between a brain dump and a to-do list?
A brain dump is the raw capture of everything on your mind, without order. A to-do list is what you get after sorting: the tasks you decided to do, with a day.