Capture: Permission to Delay Consumption

Why Capture Matters

The Problem

You have 47 browser tabs open. You have screenshots in your camera roll you never look at. You have email newsletters piling up. You feel anxious every time someone recommends a book because it feels like one more thing you “should” do.

This is Information Pressure. It creates a constant background hum of anxiety: “I’m falling behind.”

The Solution (Reframed)

Most systems tell you to capture so you can process it all. CTEP tells you to capture so you can release it.

The goal of Capture is not to build a library. It is to empty your mind so you can be present right now.

---

Level 0: Discover Your Need

Permission Checkpoint: Do you feel the relief this is supposed to grant?

Signs You Need This Pillar

• You impulse-buy books or courses and then feel guilty.
• You can’t enjoy a conversation because you’re mentally trying to remember a recommendation.
• You feel “unsafe” closing browser tabs because you “might need them.”

What Permission Looks Like

Permission looks like saving an article to Readwise or Pocket and immediately archiving the email, knowing it is safe. It looks like capturing a thought in a notebook and closing the loop mentally.

---

Level 1: Foundational Practice

Goal

Create a single “Trusted Inbox” where everything goes, so your brain can stop holding it.

Core Skill: The “Capture & Release” Loop

1. Notice - “Oh, that’s interesting.”
2. Capture - Put it in the box (digital or analog).
3. Release - “It is safe. I don’t need to think about it now.”

Implementation: The Trusted Inbox

You need one place. Not five.

Digital:

• Todoist / Apple Reminders (for tasks)
• Readwise Reader / Pocket (for reading)

Analog:

• A pocket notebook.

The Rule: If it takes less than 2 minutes, do it. If it takes > 2 minutes, capture it.

Success Metrics

• Browser tabs open < 5.
• “Oh wait, let me write that down” becomes a reflex.
• You feel physically lighter after capturing.

---

Downloads