Free template · PDF + tool
Free brain dump template
Dump it. Pick 3. Do 1.
Updated · Done Enough
A brain dump is writing down everything on your mind, in any order, until your head feels quieter. This free brain dump template then helps you narrow it down: sort it into 6 bins, pick 3, circle 1, and write the first physical move. Use it online below, or print the PDF.
Online brain dump template
Type one thought per line. The tool sorts each line into a bin, then walks you through pick 3, circle 1. Nothing leaves your device.
- Dump
- Pick 3
- Circle 1
- Move
Saved only in this browser. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Brain dump example
Here is a filled-in example: eight lines from a normal Tuesday, sorted, three picked, one circled.
How to do a brain dump in 4 steps
- Dump. Set a 5 to 10 minute timer. Write every task, worry, errand and half-idea. No sorting, no judging. One line each.
- Sort. Put each line in a bin: to do, call or text, buy, worries, ideas, don’t forget. Sorting by type means you never rank 40 things at once.
- Pick 3, circle 1. Choose three things that matter today. Then circle just one.
- Name the first physical move. Not “deal with taxes” but “open the tax folder on the table”. Small enough to start in under two minutes.
Why most brain dumps don’t help
Writing the dump is easy. Afterwards you have a long list, and that can feel worse than before. People describe the same traps again and again in productivity communities:
| Trap | What it looks like | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The list never ends | 40 items, all “important” | Sort by bin, then pick only 3 |
| Too many lists | A new list every time you feel behind | Keep one master list. |
| No first step | “Clean the house” sits there for weeks | Write the first physical move |
| Prioritizing drains you | Evaluating every item is tiring | Bins do the sorting, you only choose 3 |
Brain dump vs. to-do list vs. journal
| Compare | Brain dump | To-do list | Journal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goal | Empty your head | Track tasks | Process feelings |
| Order | None | Ranked or dated | Free writing |
| Includes worries | Yes | No | Yes |
| Ends with | One action | A checked box | Insight |
Use a brain dump when your head is too full to start anything. Turn the result into your to-do list.
When to brain dump
- Morning: before you open email, so the day starts from your list, not someone else’s.
- Before bed: if thoughts keep you awake, park them on paper for tomorrow.
- At work: when you switch between tabs without finishing anything.
- Weekly: a bigger dump on Sunday to reset the whole week.
Brain dump prompts if your mind goes blank
- What am I avoiding?
- Who am I waiting on, and who is waiting on me?
- What do we need to buy before the weekend?
- What is one thing I keep forgetting?
- What is worrying me that I can’t act on today?
- What would make tomorrow easier?
If you have ADHD
A brain dump is often suggested for ADHD, and the dump itself is usually the easy part. Sorting the long list afterwards is where many people get stuck. Adaptations that help:
| Standard brain dump | ADHD-friendly version |
|---|---|
| 10-minute timer | 3 to 5 minutes, stop when it rings |
| Write everything, then prioritize | Sort into bins, never rank the whole list |
| Pick 3 | Pick 3, circle 1, start only the circled one |
| First step “under 5 minutes” | First step under 2 minutes (“open the folder”) |
| Notebook in a drawer | Page left where you’ll see it |
| Talk or type | Voice note if writing feels slow, then copy the actions |
On days when even that feels like too much, circle one item and do its first move. That counts. The Stuck-day printable workbook in our shop is built for those days, with brain dump pages, pick-3 sheets and first-step prompts. The ADHD-friendly brain dump guide has seven more tweaks, and the ADHD to-do list shows how to turn the dump into a list you’ll actually use.
What to do after the brain dump
The dump is step one. What you do next depends on what’s on the page:
- Lots of separate tasks? Cap the day with the 1-3-5 rule.
- One big project buried in there? Give it a daily block with the 3-3-3 method.
- One task you keep avoiding? Eat the frog on your next good-energy morning.
- Everything feels urgent? Sort it in the Eisenhower matrix.
- You know what to do but can’t start? Read how to stop procrastinating.
Want a planner version?
More free tools are on the Done Enough home page; see how we build them. The free PDF is one page. The Done Enough shop has fuller printable planners built on the same pick-3, circle-1 layout.
More brain dump and prioritizing guides
- Brain dump journal: daily vs. weekly
- 50 brain dump prompts
- ADHD-friendly brain dump
- How to prioritize tasks
- Eat the frog: when it works
- How to stop procrastinating
- How to make a to-do list
- To-do list template (free printable)
- ADHD to-do list
- The 1-3-5 rule
- The 3-3-3 method
- Tools: Eisenhower matrix template · Task wheel
FAQ
How long should a brain dump take?
Five to ten minutes. Set a timer and stop when new items slow down. A "5 minute brain dump" is the same exercise with a hard stop.
What do you write in a brain dump?
Anything taking up space in your head: tasks, errands, people to reply to, things to buy, worries, ideas, dates to remember. One line each, no sorting while you write.
How do you properly do a brain dump?
Dump everything, sort each line into a bin (to do, call, buy, worries, ideas, don't forget), pick 3 for today, circle 1, and write its first physical move.
Do brain dumps really work?
They help most when they end in a decision. A long list on its own can feel worse; picking 3 and circling 1 is what turns it into action.
What are good prompts for a brain dump?
What am I avoiding? Who is waiting on me? What do I need to buy this week? What keeps slipping my mind? What is worrying me that I cannot act on today?
Is there a digital brain dump template?
Yes. The tool on this page works in your browser, sorts lines automatically, saves on your device only, and prints. There is also a free PDF.