Brain Dump (Printable)

Dan Lewis -

Feel free to print it out and give it a try.
I find the process incredibly helpful during those times I'm feeling very overwhelmed.

I'm considering trying to 'dump' on a regular basis (daily/weekly) to see if I gain some perspective and am able to stay ahead of the overwhelm.

Carve out 10-30 minutes.1
Let your mind run.2
Try to keep up with your pen.3
Don't stop, don't slow down, don't expound, just dump.4

That's it.
Well, sometimes.
Other times this is when you can go through your lists and prioritize, cross off, and make actionable next steps.
But really, sometimes all it takes is processing all the thoughts onto paper.

Right Click -> Save Image -> then Print it

If you want the PDF version of this or the Pages file to customize it send me an email.

  1. How much time you'll need is dependant on you. I'm also trying a version of this where I keep a copy on my desk and 'dump' throughout the day as thoughts pop up.
  2. If you get stuck I added some light categories at the top of the lists. Feel free to adjust and/or ignore these.
  3. It's really important that you physically write these on paper. Relief will come by knowing you don't have to keep juggling these in your mind. Now that everything is on paper you can relax a little and focus more. Afterall, you can't forget what's written down.
  4. You're not here to think about these things, simply to dump them. One-two words is almost always enough to trigger the full thought/task/concern when you come back to it. Its more important to get EVERYTHING out, even sloppily than to get some of it out neatly our thoroghly.