The 20 Minute Brain Dump

I love to do what I call a regular brain dump. It helps me think clearly and is very simple. I just take out my Journal, or perhaps a separate "brain dump" pad of paper, and start to write. I don't write for quality or to make any sense. I just let thoughts, ideas, and garbage come spilling out. Some can be angry, some sad, lots is frustrated, much is just "stuff". I don't worry about spelling or grammar. I don't worry about what's being said. It can even go into the trash afterward. The key is to let whatever comes flow out onto the page.

Because I'm easily distracted these days, I sometimes set a timer for 20 minutes. Taking the full 20 minutes is useful because some of the best junk may spill out in the last five minutes. And I try to do it at least once or twice a week - occasionally every day.

Because I consider myself a sometimes writer, there are occasional snatches of poetry or a story idea that pop up that I save for possible future use. Or I get some good thoughts about the days or weeks ahead, or some new insight about some issue I'm wrestling with. Some of it might be the day's To Do or shopping lists. These might be worth keeping. But mostly it's just junk. And that's the idea. Get the junk out of you head by throwing it out on paper. Then there may be room for some of the good stuff to help you through the rest of the day.

So try it out. Let me know what your experience is.