Is my brain dump saved?

Yes, in this browser on this device. It stays there until you clear it or clear your browser data. It is never sent to us or to anyone else.

Can I use it on my phone?

Yes. It works in any up-to-date browser on a phone, tablet or computer. Each device keeps its own list.

How often should I do a brain dump?

Whenever your head feels full. Once a day works for many people, often first thing in the morning or at the end of the workday. Others do one a week.

What if everything feels like it belongs in Now?

Put it all in Now first. Then ask which three would make the biggest difference today, and move the rest to Soon. They are still on your list.

Is there a brain dump app?

This page works like one. Open it on your phone and add it to your home screen from the browser menu. There is nothing to download and no account.

Free Brain Dump Tool and Printable Template

How to do a brain dump

Write everything down. Tasks, worries, ideas, things to buy, the email you keep meaning to send. Do not sort yet, and do not worry about wording.
Put each thing in a pile. Now is for today. Soon is for this week. Someday is for ideas and things with no date. Let go is for things you can drop or hand to someone else.
Keep Now short. Three things is plenty for one day. Move the rest to Soon.
Start with one thing in Now. If you are stuck, pick the smallest one.
Do it again when your head fills up. Your list is saved, so new things join the piles you already have.

Brain dump template

Prefer paper? Print this template. It has space to write everything down and four boxes to sort it into. It fits on one Letter or A4 page.

Brain dump

Date ______________

Everything on my mind

Now today, three at most

Soon this week

Someday no date

Let go drop it or hand it off

Brain dump journal prompts

If you keep a journal, these questions help when you sit down and your mind goes blank.

What am I trying to remember right now?
What has been on my to-do list for more than a week?
What am I waiting on from someone else?
What is coming up in the next seven days?
What is worrying me, even a little?
What do I need to buy, return or pay?
Who do I need to reply to?
What idea do I keep coming back to?
What would make tomorrow easier?
What can I stop doing?

Why a brain dump helps with ADHD

ADHD makes it harder to hold several things in mind while you do something else. Unfinished tasks come back at the wrong moments: in the shower, in a meeting, at 2am.

Writing them all down in one place means you no longer have to hold them. Sorting them means you only have to look at today's few.

When you are stuck and cannot start

Task paralysis often comes from too many things competing at once. When everything feels equally urgent, it is hard to pick any of them.

A brain dump turns that pile into a short list, and a short list is easier to start. Pick the smallest thing in Now and do only that. The rest can wait in Soon.

Questions

Is my brain dump saved?: Yes, in this browser on this device. It stays there until you clear it or clear your browser data. It is never sent to us or to anyone else.
Can I use it on my phone?: Yes. It works in any up-to-date browser on a phone, tablet or computer. Each device keeps its own list.
How often should I do a brain dump?: Whenever your head feels full. Once a day works for many people, often first thing in the morning or at the end of the workday. Others do one a week.
What if everything feels like it belongs in Now?: Put it all in Now first. Then ask which three would make the biggest difference today, and move the rest to Soon. They are still on your list.
Is there a brain dump app?: This page works like one. Open it on your phone and add it to your home screen from the browser menu. There is nothing to download and no account.