Brain dump prompts and timer
Choose what the dump is about (everything, work, study, home, what is on your mind, or ideas), set 2, 5 or 10 minutes, then press start. One prompt at a time keeps you writing fragments when you stall. Copy your list at the end. The tool runs in your browser and saves nothing you type.
Your head is a poor filing cabinet. This tool gets the contents out fast: you pick a topic, a prompt nudges you when you stall, a timer keeps the session short, and you copy the result into whatever you use for notes.
How to use it
- Choose what you are dumping and for how long. "Everything" is the default. Two minutes is a good first round.
- Press the timer, then write fragments. "Dentist", "reply to Sam", "birthday gift?" are complete notes. Do not sort and do not judge.
- Stuck? Press next prompt. When the timer ends, copy your dump and pick two or three things for today.
Dump about
Timer
prompt 1 of 9
What keeps coming back when I try to relax?
Ready when you are.
All 9 prompts for “Everything”
Why a prompt and a timer
Most dumps stall after five or six items. The obvious items have simply run out. A prompt points you at one corner at a time, such as a message you left unanswered or something that is running low at home. The timer does the opposite job: it puts a lid on the session, so a two-minute task does not turn into an hour of planning.
The prompts are written for this page. There is no research claiming that a particular prompt works better than another. What the sources we read agree on is the shape: write everything down first, sort second. One of them says plainly that free-form brain dumping has not been tested directly, so treat this as a handy habit, not a proven method.
After the timer
Reading the list is the part people skip. Try this before you close the page:
- Circle two or three items that matter today.
- Next to each one, write the first move in a few words ("find the dentist's number").
- Leave the rest. They are safe on the page, and that is the whole point of getting them out of your head.
If your list is long, the next step is in what to do after a brain dump. If you have never done one, the full method is in how to do a brain dump. For capturing on the go, see how to take notes on your phone.
Questions people ask
How long should a brain dump take? Two minutes to start, five or ten when your head is crowded. A fixed timer keeps you writing.
What if I run out of things to write? Press next prompt. A blank usually means the quiet items are still in there.
Is what I type saved or sent anywhere? No. The box lives in this tab only, so copy your dump before you leave. Only your last topic and timer length are remembered, in your browser.
What do I do with the dump afterwards? Pick two or three things for today and write a tiny first move next to each. The rest can wait.
Sources
Made by EASYTECH, who also make Nom.
