Brain dumping helps me clear my often cluttered mind. My mind runs in so many directions that it’s hard for me to keep up with myself, especially when I am starting a new project or excited about it. If you’re anything like me, you can think of 1000 things to do simultaneously. Case in point, I am sitting here thinking of what type of products I desire to stock my store with; all the while, my mind says, “You should write about this.” Guess what? I am writing about this topic and not thinking of the type of products I need to sell in my store. Is it just me, or do you do that as well?
Sometimes it’s a good thing because it often keeps the creative juices flowing, and at other times, it’s a curse because I don’t finish what I need to do. I am still determining precisely when this started, but I know it began in my later years. When I was younger than I am now, I had no issues focusing on the tasks I wanted to complete. I could whiz right through a project and be done in no time. Now, I have to reign my thoughts in. Perhaps, I suffer from adult ADHD, or maybe I have too many things to do. I don’t know which is true, but a solution had to be found.
My Attempts at Getting the Jumbled Thoughts Out of My Head
My first attempt was to use a planner. I went out to AC Moore and bought the cutest planner I could find along with all of the stickers, stickies, and tabs I could find, you know, all the bells and whistles. I watched video after video on YouTube on how to set up my planner correctly. It went well for about a month, and then I dropped off. Honestly, I became bored with it. Having to decorate it was too much for me to do every week. I know you are thinking, “Well, don’t decorate it!” Being the creative person that I am, the thought of an undecorated planner is horrifying.
After the failed planner attempt, I resorted to using Google Calendar for a short time, a very short time. It was great for reminders, but I needed help sorting my thoughts logically; unfortunately, Google Calendar didn’t have that capability.
Discovering Brain Dumping
One day at work, I noticed a co-worker had an orange notepad on her desk with two columns and three rows. I asked her where she purchased it, and she graciously gave it to me. I brought it to my desk and left it there for several weeks. Then finally, I decided to use it; I jotted down everything I wanted to accomplish each day for that work week. I didn’t jot the tasks down in any particular order just randomly, but it helped me get the thoughts out of my head and onto paper.
Creating a list allowed me to focus on each task. As I completed each task, I placed a check beside it, signifying job completion. At the end of the week, I found that 90% of the tasks on the list were completed. Who knew that simply writing things down would help me achieve it? But why did it help me?
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Brain Dumping
It provided me with a Brain Dump. What is a brain dump, you ask? It is a way to get your thoughts and ideas down on paper and free up space in your brain. Writing it down freed my mind up to concentrate on each task until it was completed.
Visualization
I do not handle abstractness well; in fact, I failed Geometry because of all the abstract theories that the subject contains. I am more of a visual person in the way that I think and handle situations. Jotting down my to-do list gave me a visual representation in the form of written words. If I see it, I am more apt to do it. Looking at my list reminds me of the things I need to do. It also serves as a reminder.
Focus
Visualization brought about focus. Seeing my tasks on paper helped me to create mental notes on the order the tasks needed to be completed. I can quickly scan my list and determine which items need immediate attention and which could be delayed. Everything seemed like a priority when my thoughts were floating around in my brain.
Accomplishment
As I began to complete each task, it brought about a sense of accomplishment. I began to feel good about myself and my ability to be productive.
I’ve since graduated from those orange sheets mainly due to juggling a 9 to 5 and several side hustles, but I still actively use worksheets that are similarly designed to help keep me focused and accomplish my goals.
Looking for a well-organized worksheet that will help you get things done? Check out the worksheet that I currently use.