How to organize thoughts: Quick tips for clear thinking

If you’re here, chances are you have a lot on your plate.

Just like me and the next person reading this blog post.

Between juggling family responsibilities, a day job, and a side hustle, you know how easy it is to feel scattered and overwhelmed.

When you feel overwhelmed, you get stuck. When you get stuck, nothing gets done. When nothing gets done, everything piles up. Then the cycle just repeats.

But don’t worry, you’re about to get some tips that will help you break that cycle by implementing the ideas on how to organize thoughts.

I hope you’ll implement these tips, and if you do, you’ll feel refreshed and have a clearer mind as soon as you finish reading. And then you’ll always find focus no matter how busy life is.

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The Power of Organised Thoughts

There is power in being organised with your thoughts. It reduces mental chaos, and you’re more likely to focus. Less stress and frustration.

When your thoughts are organised, everything becomes easier.

You can make decisions faster and be more productive. You’ll feel more in control of your actions instead of letting circumstances dictate them. In the long run, having organised thoughts can lead to a happier and more balanced lifestyle.

Learning how to organize thoughts means managing what comes in and out of your mind, sorting through those thoughts, and implementing them to achieve your different objectives in life.

Here is a free Notion Weekly Planner if you’re interested.
There’s notes space in the planner but you can create a new space just for brain dump or Mind sweep.

Do a Brain Dump or Mind Sweep

The first thing you need to do when learning how to organize thoughts is to practise externalising those thoughts.

Every day, from the moment you wake up until you go to bed, countless thoughts run through your mind. It’s a good idea to manage them as you go or set aside a short period to clear your mind.

Doing this means you only need to spend time thinking about an idea or thought once.

Have you experienced this?

When there’s something you need to do and you don’t act on it, either by writing it down or noting it for later, your brain keeps reminding you.

That’s how the brain works naturally. It’s good at remembering important things.

But if you don’t write it down, the constant effort of trying to remember will eventually weigh you down.

Imagine if you have ten ideas or thoughts to remember.

The solution is to write them down or jot them down digitally. It doesn’t matter how you do it. What’s important is starting to externalise those thoughts and ideas.

When your mind feels lighter, you can think more clearly and make better decisions.

You can do this through a brain dump or a mind sweep.

A brain dump involves setting aside time, using a timer (optional), and jotting or writing down everything on your mind. A mind sweep is similar, but it’s about taking notes or writing down ideas as they come.

Organise Your Thoughts

Whether you choose to do a brain dump or a mind sweep, your next step is organising those thoughts and ideas. After organising them, you need to prioritise, because there’s no point jotting them down if you’re not going to act on them.

Clarify each item.

They can be: a to-do, event, reference, idea, or thought. If it’s a to-do, you can either do it right away if it will take less than two minutes. If you have too many “less than two-minute” tasks, batch them and schedule another time.

If it’s an event or appointment, put it in your calendar immediately.

For ideas and thoughts, have a dedicated space or folder to keep them. It’s important to have everything in one place, so when it’s time to implement or use them, you know where to find them.

How many brilliant ideas have you let go because you couldn’t remember where you put them?

Having one dedicated space to collect ideas will prevent this from happening again.

The good thing about Notion is you can use for almost everything, much like a Bullet Journal. You make it the way you want it to be, Here is a portion of my Notes Space.

Create a Mind Map

Another way to organise your thoughts is by creating a mind map.

A mind map is a visual representation of your thoughts and ideas. It’s a good tool for organising information, making connections, and stimulating creativity. To create a mind map, start with a central idea or theme and branch out from there.

For example, if you’re working on a project, write the project name in the centre of the page and draw branches for different aspects of the project—tasks, deadlines, resources, etc.

This visual representation helps you see the big picture and identify gaps or areas that need attention.

Use the Tools You Love

When it comes to tools for organising your thoughts, I’m not going to tell you which tool to use. The best tool is the one you like and that works for you.

But I’ll share what I use and why. Hopefully, that helps you decide which tools to use if you don’t have one (or two) yet.

• Pen and paper or a notebook for brain dumps
• Notion or Apple Notes for mind sweeps
• Bullet Journal and Post-it notes

I’ve always been a pen-and-paper person, so analog will always be my first choice. But since discovering Notion, I’ve started creating a system that uses both analog and digital methods.

I do a mind sweep every day. During the day, when I have my phone with me, I note down any ideas or thoughts that come to mind in Notion. I have an “In Here for Now” page that captures all my thoughts on the go.

Then, I go through it weekly when I plan and review. That’s when I organise and prioritise them. Some days, I just do it at night when I plan for the next day.

For brain dumps, I prefer doing it on paper. It feels good to see my thoughts on paper. I manage them better because they are tangible.

I use a Bullet Journal for already organised information. I intend to keep all my Bullet Journals, so when my kids are older and if they’re interested in how their Mum lived, they’ll be there for them. That’s why I’m intentional with my Bullet Journal. I’m selective about what I include. I’m still genuine, but I don’t put a daily to-do list in there anymore.

Practise Mindfulness

Being present with your thoughts plays a big part in keeping them organised.

Fully engaging with what you’re doing helps you notice when your mind starts to get muddled. You can then pause and do a brain dump or just clear your mind.

Reflect Often

Keep in mind that you don’t need to keep all your thoughts and ideas. Sometimes, you just need to be okay with letting go of them.

In situations where you can’t do a brain dump or mind sweep because you don’t have anything on you, just let go of the thought. Ideas and thoughts will come back.

Reflect often, and as you go through your collection, get rid of irrelevant ideas to make space for new ones. Anything that doesn’t spark joy needs to go too.

Your Next Step

If you haven’t done a brain dump yet, schedule a few minutes to do it.

You’ll be surprised at how much lighter you’ll feel afterward.

As for the mind sweep, if you haven’t already, create a separate note for jotting down ideas and thoughts that pop into your head as you go.

If you’re not using Notion yet, try the notes app on your phone.

I hope these tips helped you.

Don’t forget to grab your Free Notion Weekly Planner.