Habit 3: Bedtime Brain Dump

The third habit is to manage your world is what I call the Bedtime Braindump.

If you're jumping in here at number three you can find the first habit HERE and the second one HERE.

This one is pretty simple. For a few minutes before bed, I ask myself a few questions and write down some thoughts in my journal. It doesn't take long, usually only about 5 minutes, but it has a massive impact on my ability to find clarity the next day and to sleep well – it's one more way to close open loops at the end of the day.

This habit has three positive effects.

1. It allows me to close or acknowledge any open loops that might threaten my ability to fall asleep. I write them down and get them out of my head. For example, say I have a conversation with my wife right before bed and she reminds me that I need to find someone to watch our dog before we go out of town for the weekend. Right then my mind starts racing with all the options trying to close that open loops. But if I write it in my journal or my workflow tool I know I'll deal with it the next day, it won't be forgotten, and it feels much more resolved.
2. The other benefit is that it primes my mind for clarity the next day. I like to wake up and journal or write in the morning. If I can write a few lines about the topic the night before, it gives my subconscious something to focus on. I wake up with all kinds of new thoughts. I know that might sound kind of silly but it works. It’s science.
3. Finally, this habit gives me space to process anything that might be a bit more emotionally heavy. If I am working on a difficult relationship or problem at work I can sometimes store up tension or strong emotion about that issue without realizing it. This habit right before bed sometimes draws all that emotional tension out of my mind and onto the page. It doesn't happen every time, but when it does, I try to my best to let the words flow. This will often lead to journaling longer than five minutes but it's time well spent. Sometimes, this benefit emerges by asking myself a good question like, "What am I ruminating on?" or, "What am I dreading at work right now," or, "What am I avoiding that I need to face head-on?"

The Bedtime Brain Dump habit is perhaps the simplest and easiest to implement. It's also different than the others in that it does a better job at tapping into the factors that might be clouding your subconscious and therefore affecting your overall cognitive capacity.

Here are some great questions you can ask yourself to close out your day and start putting this habit into practice:

• What was the most significant moment today?
• Who needs my attention tomorrow?
• What did I learn today?
• What must I prioritize tomorrow?
• What would a great day look like tomorrow?
• What would it look like if I brought my best to work tomorrow?
• What was the most common emotion I felt today?
• What moments from my day need to be processed more deeply?

Give this habit a try and see how it changes your sleep and your morning clarity!
Next week I'll be back with the fourth and final habit in this series. If you found this helpful hit me with a reply and let me know a few of your favorite journaling prompts.

Till next Friday,

Craig