32. Staying on Track: Using a brain download trigger list
It feels great to have all those niggling thoughts out of my head and in my planner. I share my resources with paid subscribers.
Hi there, I’m Val Spiers and I write and create my way through my life with joy and purpose.
32/1000 (8.2 - 2024)
In this week’s newsletter:
I go over how I use a brain download to help keep my mind clear and calm.
Sometimes I feel like my mind is just doing its own thing. I try to focus on something I want to do and I can’t help thinking about the meeting that is coming up or the things I have to put on the shopping list and still haven’t or the leaky garden tap that needs a washer from the hardware store.
I’m sure you have the same sort of things stuck in your mind and pulling you down.
I get irritable and twitchy. I get depressed and want to sleep or binge watch TV. When my mind gets stuck on a roundabout or a downward spiral it is difficult to see a way out.
Make a brain download trigger list
One of the best ways to relieve the tension is to open the flood gates and let it all out. Get a piece of paper and a pen and write down every little thing that has been on your mind.
You have to make a real meal of it. You have to sit for 20 or 30 mins and dig deep down into the depths of your mind looking for those pesky thoughts that hide away and niggle at you. Very often they are thoughts that are in our subconscious and unless we go looking for them we don’t realise that they are making us miserable.
I came across a method for brain downloading while browsing You tube for planner ideas. Seems it is not a new idea but I liked the look of it. What it is, is a list of trigger words and questions that enable you to remember what is on your mind. The questions are general but you can customise the other lists with titles and items that are relevant to you.
Some of the questions ask a similar thing in a different way. I think this is all part of triggering the niggling thought to show itself.
Here are some of the questions:
What is on my mind right now?
What projects do I need to complete?
What is worrying me right now?
What important things am I trying to remember?
What problems are concerning me?
Here are some of the topic ideas:
Special events coming up - list the ones important to you such as birthdays, anniversaries, holidays.
House and family needs - such as routine housework, appointments, school things.
Personal items - such as appointments, meetings, self care, wardrobe needs, taxes.
Business related - such as meetings, projects, conferences.
You really need to come up with the topics that fit in with what you do. Over time you can build up a great resource for helping you to get all your thoughts down on paper and out of your head then into your planner or calendar.
The recurring tasks sheet
I don’t have a lot of recurring tasks and I don’t add them to my planer all the time. I can see how this list would be useful to keep track of housework tasks and get them in the planner easily. I could have used a list like this when my business was in its developmental stage. It would be useful to get a system set up for project work so you don’t have to remember all the steps to add to your planner every month or quarter.
I have included a blank Recurring Tasks Sheet for paid subscribers.
Do a brain download every week
Getting niggling thoughts out of your head is a great way to reduce stress and anxiety. If something that needs to be done is bothering you it is best to put the due date in your planner then work backwards with tasks until you find a start date that gives you enough time to complete the project. Once that start date and future tasks are in your planner you can relax until the start date.
Planning is a key factor in reducing anxiety. Once you have everything written down on your brain download page you can’t just stop there. I find it very rewarding to go through my list and find a place for all those tasks and ideas in my planner. I rub out each item on the list as I put it on a particular day of the week or in my future log or my ideas notebook. Doing this makes me feel successful. I feel happy that I have only a few things down for each day and my big long list of niggling thoughts is all rubbed out and dealt with.
The magic of this process, I have found, is that even if I don’t get all the items rubbed out, or during the week I don’t complete every task, I still feel successful because lots has been achieved and I know that things not done can go on the next weeks brain download. I can also identify things that I am procrastinating about. If they keep ending up on the brain download list they need special treatment to get them out of my life. The more I do the brain download the less items turn up more than once. I am less likely to procrastinate about something if I identify the task details and put them in my planner.
In summary
Make a brain download trigger list to refer to each week.
Do a brain download each week.
Transfer your brain download items to your planner, future log or ideas book.
Calculate a start date for projects or tasks that you know are going to take more than day.
Check in with your planner every day and complete as much as you can.
Make sure to carry over any uncompleted tasks to next week’s brain download and deal with procrastination if needed.
That’s it. 30 mins well spent each week, once you have your trigger list done.
I have made a trigger list that works for me. Paid subscribers can download this trigger list as a starting point. You can also use the Canva template to create your own finished trigger list and download it for printing or digital use.
I have created:
A trigger list that I look at to help with my brain download
A blank trigger list sheet
A blank recurring tasks sheet
A brain download sheet to use each week
Cheers,
Val