Do you often find yourself thinking about the unfinished?
An incomplete project
A broken device in need of repair
An idea to start working on
A book to finish
A hobby to pursue
Decluttering the wardrobe
Does a part of your mind play the above list in repeat mode?
With me, even on the best of my days, these tasks creep in and pull me down.
I am sure everyone has experienced this.
This phenomenon is called the Zeigarnik effect. In 1927, psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik observed that individuals tend to have a better memory for tasks that have been interrupted or are incomplete than they do for the completed.
This pattern does more harm than good –
- It leads to self-guilt
- It never allows you to be at peace
- It slows you down and
- It makes you believe you are not good enough
How to break this pattern?
Here are five easy ways –
- Accept that the task is unfinished without self-reasoning.
- Write it on a piece of paper titled ‘Unfinished Tasks.’ It will save you the effort of revising it mentally for the fear of forgetting.
- Improve productivity by taking up unfinished tasks in random time gaps.
- Understand that doing a part and not the whole task is also peaceful.
- When you meet a person managing better than you, learn from them.
I am empathetic towards those who cannot make time for the unfinished. But please do not let the unfinished define who you are.
However, if the incompletion is due to chronic procrastination triggered by lethargy, the above ways may not prove effective.
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You can work hard and be happy. You can slog and yet be at peace. To learn more about virtues and habits, follow me @thesimplejuggle on Instagram and the link to my LinkedIn profile is www.linkedin.com/in/neha-gupta-mittal-42868225a.
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