Tools for Becoming More Organized —the Brain Dump

It’s easy to become overwhelmed or distracted when writing a to-do list. Prioritizing what may feel like an endless stream of responsibilities is daunting. On days when organizing tasks feels particularly challenging, try our Brain Dump tool. 

The Left Column: The Brain-Cleansing Brain Dump

The Brain Dump tool is a notepad that leads you through the process of getting everything in your mind onto paper. In the left column, record everything you need to do — everything. No task is too great or insignificant. 

For many, this is where list-making ends. With this, it’s just the beginning. With the Brain Dump notepad, you can pull from the list in the left column and organize your actions in the right column to strategize next steps. This helps create order from the chaos.

The Right Columns: 

The Top Three 
This list consists of the absolute, most important, time-sensitive items that require attention. These tasks need to be completed in the next few days or a week. For example, if it’s April 12th, completing your taxes is a “Top Three” task if you plan to file before the 18th.   

The Easy Three
Actions in this category are things from the left column that can be most easily accomplished — quick tasks that can provide instant gratification. Once completed, “Easy Three” tasks should help motivate you to keep crossing things off the lists in the other categories. This can include things like sending a quick email or even brushing your teeth. 

The Next Three 
“Next Three” tasks are those you want to complete after finishing those in your top three. They’re your next top three. To-dos in this category may be of lesser importance or urgency and may have deadlines that are two weeks out instead of only a few days.    

The Strategy

This Brain Dump tool is helpful when feeling scattered and pulled in too many directions. It facilitates disorganized list-making so that responsibilities can be compared and then sorted. It also leaves space for pause and self-reflection. Do you need to complete an important task, or would you rather pick one from the “Easy Three” to catalyze your action? You have the freedom to decide.