If you’ve ever wondered why unfinished tasks seem so intrusive, it’s because of a phenomena called the Zeigarnik effect.
- Failing to complete a task creates underlying cognitive tension, which is what makes you keep coming back to it. That’s why we find it easier to recall something that’s ongoing or incomplete than something that is done and over with.
- Rather than letting it be intrusive, we can actually use it to our benefit and get things done. There are four ways to make this work for you: 1) Reduce your tendency to procrastinate; 2) Get people to pay more attention to what you’re saying; 3) Memorize more information; 4) Get better with remembering tough names.
Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here.
A few months ago, a friend recommended I watch Crash Landing on You (CLOY) — a South Korean drama that has been praised around the world. I’m not a huge fan of soaps. They drag too long, force you to invest a ton of time (and emotion), and I, for one, can’t wait to find out what the end is going to be. I much prefer curling up with your traditional two-hour movie or an evening of truth with an observational documentary.
