I’ve come to realise having a busy brain can be a real nuisance. I get random thoughts about work – things I must do etc – all through the day and in the evenings and I now have a small notebook and pen in the car, in every handbag and on the bedside table, for those can’t-be-missed thoughts at 1.00am. Every time I do a brain drain and jot things down, the peace of mind is considerable. I relax, knowing I have used a system that enables me to remember what I need to. There is real value in a brain drain immediately after meetings so thoughts can be captured there and then, and not left to rattle around in our heads for the small hours or in the middle of other meetings. There’s a useful link here to a good time management technique, which is to schedule at least a quarter of an hour between engagements, to allow time to think, document thoughts and mentally prepare for the next thing. It isn’t the best to go from meeting to meeting, without any space in between. Our brains need a little down time.