The dullest pencil is better than the sharpest mind.

It’s just a fact of life. Unless you are 40 and still crashing on your parent’s couch (hey, no judgement here), chances are you have more information to keep track of than is possible to hold in your brain.
* Work projects
* Kids dance schedules
* Church commitments
* Home improvement projects
* Hobbies you’ve been meaning to pursue

Before long the list can become overwhelming. Before you pull your hair out let me suggest something I have found immensely helpful. It’s called the Brain Dump.

The Process

It’s not a new idea. I first came across the technique in David Allen’s Getting Things Done. It is his first step in establishing a more productive life. I have used it personally and when coaching staff who were struggling to keep up with their workload.

The concept is pretty simple. Your goal is to get every little thought or idea that is occupying mental attention out of your head and onto a piece of paper. Allen recommends using a separate sheet of paper for each idea. My inner tree hugger just won’t let me do it. A list on a legal pad works fine. Or, you can try my preferred method of using Post-its.

The process tends to run in fits and spurts. When you begin you will right down somewhere between 15–35 items right off the bat. Then you will stall out.

Don’t be fooled.

Sit with it for a minute. This is really brain stretching. Try to think through each area, aspect, relationship and obligation in your life. Sometimes it is helpful for me to look through my calendar or recent call list on my phone to jog my memory. Don’t be surprised if at the end of the session you generate a couple hundred notes (or a pad or two of Post-Its)

Once you have all that information out of your head you are in position to begin deciding what to do with it. I use a modified GTD system I will share in a future post.

Until then here is a quick process you can use to filter your information:
1. Can I accomplish this item in less than 2 minutes? If so, create a separate list or pile with only those quick items and DO them the next chance you have.
2. Will my spouse leave me? Boss fire me? House burn down? Or, children disown me if this fails to get done soon? If so, focus on those things next.

Everything else can probably wait for the time being. Plan on returning to this process on a regular basis to help keep your inner angst to a minimum.