How to Turn a Brain Dump into a Strategy Using AI
The first post in my refreshed weekly How-To series — simple, actionable experiments to make AI your thought partner at work and in life.
AI can feel overwhelming. There’s always a new tool, a buzzy headline, or a doomsday prediction. But here’s the thing: most of the value doesn’t come from chasing the latest shiny object. It comes from using AI in small, practical ways that make your daily work and life easier, clearer, and more creative.
That’s why I’m bringing back my weekly Uncharted: How-To series. Each week, I’ll share one digestible (500–800 word) experiment you can try immediately. Think of them as invitations to test, tweak, and make AI your own.
Some weeks will focus on professional use cases — like turning a messy brainstorm into a strategy, analyzing metrics, or designing a workshop. Other weeks will lean more personal and creative — like using tarot to explore your strategic direction, editing your writing without losing your voice, or even creating a “joy fund” budget tracker.
Each post will include:
A behind-the-scenes Anchor Change example (how I actually use AI in my work).
A broader application (how you can use it in your own world).
Copy-paste prompt templates — plus tips on how to push the AI to ask you questions back so it feels like a conversation, not a one-and-done output.
This week, I'll show you how to turn a brain dump of thoughts and ideas into a structured plan.
We’ve all had those moments: a notebook page crammed with half-thoughts, a voice memo from a morning walk, or a Slack thread that spiraled into chaos. The ideas are there, but they sit in a jumble — exciting, but overwhelming.
At Anchor Change, I run into this constantly. Between planning client workshops, writing my book, and shaping my weekly newsletter, I generate a flood of raw notes. Left untouched, they’re paralyzing. But with AI, I can turn that mess into a clear set of priorities — and even uncover deeper insights I hadn’t articulated yet.
The good news? You can too. Here’s how to make AI your strategy partner instead of just a glorified summarizer.
Step 1: Start with the Mess
Don’t edit yourself. Copy and paste your brain dump straight in — whether it’s bullet points, transcripts, or a mix of half sentences. The power comes from starting raw.
Example from my workflow: I recorded a series of voice memos while driving back to DC from the shore using Cocoon Weaver, containing fall content ideas, and then dropped the transcripts into ChatGPT.
Step 2: Ask for Structure
Instead of saying “make this a plan,” guide the AI to organize and prioritize.
Prompt template:
“Here are my raw notes. Please group them into 3–4 themes, identify priorities within each, and suggest next steps.”
This gets you from chaos to clarity in minutes.
Pro tip: Add constraints that fit your world — 30/60/90 day timelines, buckets like “client work / content / admin,” or categories like “analysis / how-to / creative.”
Step 3: Go Deeper with Questions
Here’s where most people stop. They take the neat outline and move on. But the real magic is in treating AI like a collaborator. Ask it to push you.
Follow-up prompts to try:
“Which of these ideas would have the most impact if I only had 5 hours this week?”
“What assumptions am I making that I should test?”
“Can you ask me 3 reflection questions to clarify what matters most here?”
This turns the AI into more than a sorter — it becomes a mirror.
In my workflow: After my content dump was grouped, I asked, “Which of these topics tie most directly to Anchor Change’s mission?” The answer helped me filter out fun but distracting tangents.
Step 4: Personalize It
Ask the AI to tailor the plan to your style or situation.
Prompt template:
“Turn this outline into a 1-page plan for someone who prefers visual over text.”
OR
“Rewrite these priorities with a focus on storytelling, since that’s how I best communicate.”
This step is about fit — so the output isn’t generic, it feels like yours.
Step 5: Make It Actionable
Finally, ask for a concrete checklist or timeline you can execute.
Prompt template:
“Please create a weekly checklist for the next month with one action per priority.”
When I did this for my fall newsletter calendar, I walked away not just with themes but with four Mondays mapped out, ready to go.
Try This Today
The next time you’ve got a brain dump, resist the urge to tidy it up first. Drop it straight into AI. Then:
Ask for themes and priorities.
Push back with reflection questions.
Personalize it to your style.
Turn it into an actionable checklist.
You’ll be surprised at how quickly overwhelm becomes direction.