Brain dump template: what to put in each section
A brain dump template has six jobs: capture everything unfiltered, name the loudest item, cap today at three, park what you are waiting on, clear two-minute wins immediately, and consciously drop the rest. The three failure modes are sorting while dumping, letting the today list grow, and keeping the sheet instead of recycling it.
What actually belongs in each box of a brain dump template — and the three mistakes that quietly turn a dump back into an overwhelming to-do list.
Frequently asked questions
What goes in a brain dump template?
Six things: an unfiltered capture area, the single loudest item, a maximum of three things for today, items you are waiting on someone else for, two-minute wins to clear immediately, and things you are deliberately not doing today.
Should I sort my thoughts while doing a brain dump?
No. Sorting while dumping means filtering while dumping, which keeps the buried item buried. Empty the page completely first, then sort in a second pass.
How many items should be on the today list after a brain dump?
Three at most. The cap is what stops a brain dump from becoming another overwhelming to-do list — everything past three is inventory, not obligation.
What should I do with the leftover items?
Give each one a named home: waiting on someone, a two-minute win to do now, or deliberately not today. An item you actively declined stops resurfacing; an item you silently ignored does not.
Should I keep my brain dump sheets?
Generally no. A brain dump is disposable by design. Carry the three today items forward and recycle the rest — the next dump will resurface anything that still matters.