3-Minute Meeting Cheat Sheet That Saves Your Career When Your Brain Ghosts You
Perimenopause brain will betray you at the worst moments. Mid-presentation. During negotiations. Right when your boss asks for specifics. Your hippocampus—your memory headquarters—is getting hammered by fluctuating estrogen, and it does not care about your career.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
One page that keeps you sharp when brain fog hits mid-meeting
The debrief template that makes you look like the most reliable person in the room
Career insurance nobody sees but everyone benefits from
THE MOMENT EVERYTHING GOES BLANK
Sarah’s in the Thursday budget meeting. Seven people staring. Her boss just asked about Q3 projections—numbers she reviewed THIS MORNING—and her brain? Empty. Like someone flipped off every light in her head and walked out.
The silence stretches. Someone clears their throat. She can feel the heat creeping up her neck. I know this. I JUST looked at this.
Then her eyes drop to the single sheet of paper sitting in front of her. “Q3 up 12%, timeline concerns addressed, budget reallocation ready.” Her mouth starts moving. The numbers flow. She’s back.
That paper? That’s why she’s still employed.
Two templates. Five minutes total. Problem solved.
BEFORE THE MEETING: YOUR ONE-PAGE INSURANCE (3 MINUTES)
Stop trusting your memory. Build your cheat sheet.
COPY THIS FORMAT EXACTLY:
MEETING: [Name + Date]
PEOPLE & NAMES:
- Karen (CARE-en) - VP Ops
- David Chen - Budget lead
MY GOALS:
1. Get timeline extension
2. Address budget concerns
3. Secure buy-in
KEY POINTS:
- Q3 up 12%
- Timeline: vendor delays (not us)
- Budget proposal ready
NUMBERS I NEED:
- $847K current / $923K proposed
- March 15 deadline
QUESTIONS TO ASK:
- Approval process?
- Sign-off timeline?Keep it in front of you. On your desk. Open on screen. In your notebook.
Brain fog hits. You glance down. Keep talking. Look brilliant.
Nobody knows you’re reading notes. They just think you’re incredibly prepared.
AFTER THE MEETING: CAPTURE EVERYTHING NOW (2 MINUTES)
The SECOND it ends—not later, not tomorrow—open this template and fill it out while your brain still works.
YOUR DEBRIEF TEMPLATE:
MEETING: [Name + Date]
WHO: [Everyone there]
DECISIONS:
✓ Timeline extended to March 15
✓ Budget approved pending proposal
✓ Sarah looping in her team Friday
ACTION ITEMS:
→ Karen: Draft proposal by Monday
→ David: Review with finance Wed
→ ME: Send updated plan today
NEXT STEPS:
- Follow-up meeting Thursday 2pm
- Implementation April 1
MY FOLLOW-UP:
- Email team the timeline update
- Prep exec presentationWhy this changes everything:
You create a paper trail. When someone says “we never agreed to that” three weeks later, you have proof.
You become the reliable one. When your boss asks “what did we decide?” you know. Instantly. That’s who gets promoted.
You capture details before fog erases them. Tomorrow-you will remember nothing. Documented-you has everything.
The power move: Email this to everyone within an hour. Subject: “Quick recap from today’s meeting.”
Now you’re not just organized. You’re the strategic communicator who keeps projects on track. That’s leadership.
START YOUR SYSTEM RIGHT NOW
What actually happens:
Month 1: Your brain blanks mid-sentence. You glance at your sheet. Keep talking. Look competent.
Month 3: Colleagues request you for projects because you “remember everything.”
Month 6: You have a library proving your impact. Performance review? You have receipts.
Nobody knows you’re managing brain fog. They just know you deliver.
The truth: Brain fog is temporary. The systems you build now protect your career permanently.
Your unreliable brain doesn’t get to cost you opportunities. Not when you have templates that work every single time.
DO THIS TODAY
Save both templates above
Fill out a cheat sheet before your next meeting
Use the debrief after
Send it to attendees
One meeting. Two templates. Brain fog becomes invisible.
Share this with women who need meeting insurance that actually works—the best protection is the kind nobody knows you’re using.