Clear the Mental Clutter: The Brain Dump Technique That Unsticks Consultants and Coaches
Feeling stuck in your expert business? Before you chase a new marketing strategy, try this stupid simple brain dump exercise.
Hey Misfit.
You know how, when you do an intake with a prospect or client, you dig for the real problem so you can build the right solution?
I want you to flip that around on yourself.
Whatever gnarly challenge you're wrestling with right now. Why can't I grow my business? Why can't I raise my rates? Why am I so busy I never get to the important things? Do for yourself what you do for your clients: get clear on what's really happening.
Here's how, with a story about one of our members.
"I Don't Understand Why You're Not More Successful"
I was on a strategy call with one of our misfit members the other day. Wonderful guy, doing incredible work. And I said something that's kind of a hard thing to say to somebody:
"I don't understand why you're not more successful than you already are."
I wasn't being mean. I was legitimately curious. This guy has created his own category. Nobody else is doing what he's doing. Huge market. Incredible case studies. Beautiful offer. He has everything.
He's successful. But not at the level he wants to be, or deserves to be.
So what was going on?
Head Trash Burns Calories
They say the brain uses more calories than any other organ in your body. Just thinking burns energy.
And this member's brain was burning calories on all the wrong things. Doubt about whether he could grow the business the way he wanted. Legitimate money stress. Wanting to provide more for his family, the way I'm sure you want more for yours.
All that cognitive load makes it hard to think creatively. Hard to think expansively. Hard to notice the blind spots keeping you stuck.
So here's what we did, and what I want you to do.
The Brain Dump
We took every worry, every thought grinding his gears, and put it all on a sheet of paper.
Important: you can't just think your way out of this. You have to physically write it down. Empty your head onto the page.
The moment you do, you'll feel 20 to 30% lighter and freer. Your brain was never meant to hold 10,000 thoughts at once, especially thoughts it's constantly trying to solve, because the brain is always in problem-solution mode.
And here's what happened next with this member. The breakthrough ideas started popping like popcorn. He started thinking bigger about his business. He realized he'd been undervaluing himself with prospects.
I gave him an assignment: come back with new offers for a prospect he was courting.
Within 24 hours, he sent me the most gorgeous set of solutions. I got goosebumps. Then, an hour later, before I could even reply in our BOM Slack, he messaged again: "Actually, I have even better ideas." And he sent a whole new version that was ten times better than where he started.
All of that in 24 to 48 hours. Why? Because we emptied the brain first.
The Air Filter Metaphor
Last night it was about 100 degrees here in Richmond. My wife comes downstairs and says, honey, I think the AC isn't working.
I'm not Mr. Handy, but I had an aha moment: I bet the filters need changing. Sure enough, they were dusty and dirty. Swapped in new ones, and boom. Airflow. The house cooled right down.
Those air filters are your mind.
When your brain is clogged with the soot and dust of unresolved thoughts, you can't think creatively. Writing your thoughts down is changing the filter.
And here's the bonus: once those thoughts are on paper, you'll notice most of them are either solvable or don't really matter. They only felt unwieldy because they were stuck in your head.
Your Move
If you feel stuck, if your business isn't going where you want it to go, don't jump straight to a new marketing strategy or tactical fix.
Clear the air filters first:
Put every nagging thought on paper. All of it. Empty your head.
Problem-solve what's solvable, set aside what doesn't matter.
Then get to work. With the clutter cleared, your Einstein mind can finally reach the bigger, better ideas.
You'll feel so much lighter. And the breakthrough ideas will start popping.
Profits + Peace ✌️
— Stephen