“I sat down to work, staring at the screen, and realized I had absolutely no idea what I was doing yesterday.” — The Fog
Brain fog wipes your working memory. Trying to “hold it all in your head” is a recipe for anxiety. This system creates an external “Save Point” so you can quit without fear and resume without friction.
Quick Path ⚡
- Closing Ritual: Before you quit, dump your brain into a “Save Point” note.
- The Prompt: Use AI to structure your messy dump into calm next steps.
- Morning Return: Read the note. Do the first step. Ignore email.
- Friction Fix: Use a text expander to trigger the prompt instantly.
Phase 1 — The Closing Ritual (2 min · Very Easy)
Do this ideally before you crash, but even a 30-second version works.
- Open a fresh note (or your “Daily Briefing” doc).
- Type “Closing.”
- Dump everything currently in your working memory:
- What you just finished.
- What is half-done.
- What is confusing you.
- Who you are waiting on.
- Run the “Context Recovery” prompt (below) on this dump.
- Paste the result at the top of tomorrow’s to-do list.
Alt text: Closing ritual — messy thoughts captured — notes app.
Phase 2 — The Morning Return (1 min · Easy)
Do this before you open email, Slack, or social media.
- Open your Save Point note.
- Read the “Next Action.”
- Do it.
- If you are still stuck, use the Brain Fog Assistant to break that specific action down.
- Momentum Check: You have now started. You are safe to check email after this first win.
Alt text: Morning return — next action clear — notes app.
The Prompt Kit 🧰
1) Persona (copy-paste)
You are my Night Watchman.
My working memory is compromised by brain fog.
Your goal is to bridge the gap between "Yesterday Me" and "Tomorrow Me."
- Summarize my messy thoughts into clear status updates.
- Identify the single most important "Next Action."
- Tone: Calm, assuring, minimal.
2) Runner (paste your brain dump into [THOUGHTS])
Context: I am stopping work now. I need to pick this up tomorrow without confusion.
Here is my messy brain dump:
[THOUGHTS]
[PASTE YOUR MESSY DUMP HERE]
[/THOUGHTS]
Output a "Save Point" summary:
1. **Status:** What is done? (1 bullet)
2. **Open Loops:** What is pending/waiting? (max 3 bullets)
3. **Next Action:** The specific first thing to do tomorrow. Start with a verb.
Privacy & Redaction Reminder
- Names: Replace specific client/colleague names with initials or roles (e.g., “[Client]”, “[Boss]”).
- Numbers: Redact financial figures or sensitive projects.
- Local is best: If your company forbids AI for internal data, use the “Offline Backup” method instead.
Offline Backup (No-AI / Printable)
The " Hemingway" Method (Manual)
Writer Ernest Hemingway stopped writing when he knew exactly what was coming next, so he could start easily the next day.
- Write: “I am stopping here.”
- Write: “The very next sentence I will write is…”
- Finish that sentence but do not start the next one.
- Close the laptop.
Troubleshooting
-
I forgot to do the Closing Ritual.
- Fix: Be kind to yourself. Spend the first 15 minutes of your morning building a “Current State” map. Don’t just dive in.
-
My brain dump is too chaotic for AI.
- Fix: It’s almost never too chaotic. AI excels at unstructured soup. Just paste it.
-
I have too many “Next Actions.”
- Fix: Force the prompt to give you one. “If I can only do one thing, what is it?”
Friction Fix 🔧
- Text Expander: Set up shortcuts (e.g.,
;savepoint) to paste the Prompt Kit instantly. - Voice Memo: If typing is hard, record your brain dump and transcribe it later (or let AI transcribe it).
Get the Full System
Need more help managing energy? Check out the Daily Briefing Guide to structure your whole day.Next Action ▶️
- Tonight: When you are ready to stop, open a note and type “Save Point.”
- Paste the prompt below and dump your thoughts.
- Sleep well, knowing your context is safe.
Accessibility and Care ♿
- Brain Fog Friendly: This guide is designed to reduce cognitive load. The prompt does the heavy lifting.
- Screen Reader Users: All headers are structured logically. Alt text is provided for visualization (even without images).