What sorts of pre-writing have you used successfully in the past

In the past I have used many different forms of pre-writing, from filling out a outline to putting everything on paper and going back and fixing it. I found that I do not use any one form of pre-writing but a little bit from different kinds to achieve success. First I start with a mix of outline and spitting out words. involved writing out your basic ideas first in groups. Then I would go back and edit and form my thoughts into cohesiveness. with the main ideas split on their own I expand upon each of them with relevant information and adding secondary thoughts that were edited out. then the introduction and conclusion are written with highlights that allow a quick summary.