“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
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).