Think of your mind as a crowded room. It’s hard to find what you need when everything is scattered all over the place. Just as you turn a corner, you see a pile of tasks, a bunch of ideas, and a stack of unfinished projects… all waiting for you to do something about them.
Well, my dear, that’s your mind before you use the simple brain dump system I will walk you through in this post.
What is Brain Dumping?
Brain dumping is like decluttering that messy room in your mind – sorting through the stuff so you can finally breathe, focus, and enjoy.
It is taking things out of your mind onto a physical (or digital) list and sorting through them, piling them into different categories, and taking (or planning to take) action on them.
It is a simple and liberating first step to organizing your life that most of us just ignore or forget to take.
3-Step System with Brain Dump Template and Brain Dump Trigger List
How do you brain dump?
There are just three stages of productive brain dumping, but most of us stop after the first one (even I’ve done that). To fully understand the system, don’t forget to pay attention to the photos I’ve attached.
Also, you can grab the same templates for free by becoming a subscriber (psst, you will also get free access to my VIP Resource Library). Click right here to subscribe and use the templates.
Step One: Write It All Down
Grab a piece of paper or download the free template I’ve created, and write it all down. Everything that’s on your mind: ideas, projects, appointments to do or go to, tasks to finish, tasks to start, events to plan, gifts to buy, trips to plan, things to research, and more.
Use my brain dump trigger list to make it easy on yourself, but don’t allow that trigger list to give you new ideas you didn’t have until now. I know how easy it is to clutter yourself with more just because you saw someone else do that thing. We only dig for tasks, ideas, and things that are tucked nicely under a thick pile in that messy room.
Step Two: Give it a Color Category
Now that you have it all neatly written down, you want to categorize each line. There are many ways to organize them, and you are free to choose your way. I like to use verbs for each category that would show me the type of action I need to take.
The template I’ve created comes with one group of 7 categories, but below, I will give 4 additional groups (use them as inspiration, mix and match as much as you want, or copy them as they are).
Hold on!
How do you properly categorize each task or idea without getting overwhelmed? I will use the template I’ve created to make it visual for you. I use a color coding system, meaning that each category has its own color. After I assign colors, I go ahead with those colors and mark each task with the color of its category.
This way, I can be sure I haven’t missed an idea, and I’ve not mistakingly given the wrong category. I do that still on the left side of the template.
Choosing the color happens at the bottom of the template where the little circles are.
Step Three: Transfer to The Action List
The right side of the template is called “action list” because once an idea lands in the box of its category, it becomes an idea with a verb in front of it – an action.
Below, as promised, I’ve listed five different “action” groups. The template you get is created with the first category in mind, but you can use the blank template (yes, you get that one, too) to create your own categories or mix and match from the groups below.
Start doing it one category at a time. If you chose yellow to color code “to do” category, write down all tasks that you’ve colored in yellow before proceeding to the blue-colored “to call” category (examples).
Group 1: General Life Tasks
- to do;
- to call;
- to buy;
- to go to;
- to plan;
- to fix;
- to delegate.
Group 2: Focused on Productivity
- to start;
- to finish;
- to learn;
- to research;
- to follow up;
- to review;
- to schedule.
Group 3: Personal and Family Life
- to do together;
- to check on;
- to organize;
- to cook/prepare;
- to celebrate;
- to buy;
- to visit.
Group 4: Career-Focused Brain Dump Categories
- to assign;
- to outline;
- to update;
- to discuss;
- to approve;
- to archive;
- to reflect on.
Group 5: Health and Wellness Categories
- to schedule;
- to track;
- to try;
- to buy;
- to reward;
- to declutter.
Brain Dump Trigger List
I’ve created seven different categories with 100 trigger words that would cover the most generic areas of anyone’s life. These words should spark forgotten ideas and tasks so that nothing stays in the dark. I hope they are as helpful to you as they are to me. If you subscribe to get the Brain Dump Template, you will also get the Trigger List as a printable.
1. Work and Professional Life
- meetings;
- emails;
- deadlines;
- reports;
- skills;
- presentations;
- follow-ups;
- networking;
- projects;
- clients;
- delegation;
- days off (to book);
- supplies;
- productivities strategies;
- feedback (to give, to ask for);
- promotions.
2. Family and Relationships
- activities;
- birthdays;
- school events;
- school projects;
- playdates;
- vacations;
- babysitter;
- traditions;
- schedules;
- challenges;
- milestones;
- health;
- date nights;
- extended family obligations;
- elder care.
3. Home and Household
- cleaning;
- deep-cleaning;
- seasonal tasks;
- plan for an upcoming season;
- decluttering areas;
- repairs;
- bills;
- shopping;
- furniture;
- garden;
- improvements;
- pets (vet appointments, foods, supplements, fun)
- safety checks;
- organization;
- decor.
4. Health and Wellness
- appointments;
- medications;
- exercise;
- recipes;
- sleep;
- journaling;
- goals;
- symptoms;
- screen time;
- self-care ideas;
- insurance;
- stress relief;
- hobbies;
- research.
5. Social Life
- friends to check on;
- events;
- invitations;
- volunteering;
- clubs;
- holidays;
- gifts;
- mentorship;
- outings;
- local events;
- relationships;
- online groups;
- traditions;
- thank you notes.
6. Financial
- bills;
- budget;
- savings;
- investments;
- debt;
- purchases;
- subscriptions;
- taxes;
- side hustles;
- donations;
- records;
- insurance;
- emergency funds;
- expenses;
- goals.
7. Personal Development and Growth
- books;
- library;
- courses;
- journaling;
- planning;
- hobbies;
- vision board;
- mindset;
- habits;
- quotes;
- challenges;
- aspirations.
And this is it! Now you have it all out of your mind and onto the paper, ready for you to tackle them all. Don’t forget to download your free Brain Dump Template with the Trigger List.
Blogger, dreamer, procrastinator, and lover of everything soul-touching. My mission is to make you laugh, provoke your thoughts, light up your day and inspire you to fall in love with life and yourself.