Have you ever noticed that the more things you have on your to-do list, the more overwhelmed you feel, and the less you get done? This is actually a common phenomenon. Your brain simply isn’t able to process all of this information, so it shuts down. When that happens, you tend to forget everything and get nothing done. One way to overcome this overwhelm is to go through the process known as a brain dump. This exercise has helped get me back on the track to productivity countless times, and I’m happy to share how it works with you.
About Brain Dump
When you have a lot on your plate, it all tends to swirl around in your head. Thoughts of that project you have going on at work, the bills that need to be paid, the kids’ activities you have to manage, and your own social obligations are all competing for attention. It can easily get to be too much. And it can lead to paralysis, in which case not much gets accomplished. Brain dump is pretty much just what it sounds like. You take all those random thoughts and dump them out of your head, making room for clearer thinking. You can do this in a wide variety of ways. Some people like putting it all on paper. Others prefer to do it electronically. There are also a number of strategies you can use to organize your brain dump. It’s a very personal process.
Reasons to Do a Brain Dump
There are many reasons you may feel compelled to do a brain dump. It’s important to talk about this part of the process so that you more readily recognize the need to get things out of your head. After all, it won’t be effective if you don’t own it and use it. Let’s consider the issues that might prompt you to sit down and purge your mind of useless clutter. Whenever you feel you are procrastinating on a particular task, a brain dump may be in order. Once you move the junk out of your head, you can better focus on what you need to do. Another great time is when you’re feeling overwhelmed by clutter. It can be physical or mental clutter. Dumping the mental mess is the whole point of a brain dump. But physical clutter in your environment can also prohibit productivity, causing you to shut down. Sometimes it’s good to clear your head before you begin a big project. It’s a great way to reset and start fresh. Any time you’re feeling out of sorts might be an indicator that dumping is necessary.
How to Do a Brain Dump
You can start by dumping everything that’s on your mind onto a list. That gets it off your mind. However, a giant list of tasks, thoughts and ideas may be just as overwhelming as having it all swimming in your head. Your next step should be to organize the information. You can do this in any way that makes sense to you. Remember, brain dumping is a personal process. It has to be meaningful to you in order to be effective. One way I’ve found that works is to break things down into categories. Some people use “Must”, “Need” and “Maybe.” Another way to organize your list might be in terms of time, such as “Today”, “This Week” and “This Month.” Experiment to find what works best for you. When transferring items from your original lists to their appropriate categories, keep in mind that it’s fine to delete things entirely. If you’ve written something down but later realized that it really doesn’t need to be done, throw it out.
Once your lists are made, you can get to work on completing them. Cross things off as you finish them. Reassess your list regularly and move things around as needed. Give this method a shot. I have a feeling you’ll find it quite helpful.
