Work It Podcast: Why unfinished tasks at work linger in your mind – and what to do about them
If a task takes less than a minute, do it immediately. Clearing small items right away helps prevent mental clutter and gives you a quick win for your workday, says our guest.
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Looking for a job or trying to nail it at your current one? Host Tiffany Ang and career counsellor Gerald Tan help navigate your important - and sometimes thorny - work life questions.
Unresolved tasks can quietly build up, creating mental clutter that affects focus and well-being.
CNA TODAY journalist Amanda Yeap shares what she has learnt about the science behind the Zeigarnik Effect and practical tips on how to regain control over your work life.
Here is an excerpt from the conversation:
Tiffany Ang, host:
We talked about writing lists. I think that has been very helpful for me, because I almost “list-dump" my thoughts out of my head. I have an ideas list, I have a task list. Basically, the idea is that I just want my brain to be as free as possible.
Besides lists, are there any other ways that we can use to cope with the Zeigarnik Effect?
Amanda Yeap, CNA TODAY journalist:
One expert broke it down like this.
Once you have your list, you can decide what you want to do with each item. You either throw it out if it's no longer relevant, (or keep it) because you realise that after listing it out, not everything actually needs to be done straight away.
When it's all in your mind, you just feel, “Oh no, there are so many things.”
Tiffany:
Yeah, that is good point. I always thought that if it's on the list, it needs to be done. But it doesn't have to be ...
Amanda:
So throwing it out, outsourcing, asking for help or delegating (tasks), or even just doing it. At least you’ve already kickstarted the process. Maybe some tasks are so huge that it's impossible to get them done in a single step.
Tiffany:
That's why breaking it down into different steps helps, right? Because you know, “Okay, at least I have completed two out of three steps, and the last step is just this.” And I can maybe move (other tasks) to the next month, or I can do this tomorrow. I don't have to do it today, but at least you kind of break it down and set goals. Otherwise, you get caught in this incessant loop of, “Oh my goodness, am I in a matrix? It’s coming back!”
Amanda:
Yeah, it's actually quite common that some tabs are just there in your mind, but you don't act on them, or you just procrastinate, even though it would do you some good to get the task done. To trick yourself into doing that, really, is to just start that first step ...
You can also assign a timeline to yourself. Because sometimes if the to-do item is not specific, in the sense of (having a) deadline, then saying something like 'I'll do this by Friday,' is definitely more effective than, 'I need to do this sometime.'
There's also something interesting, it's called the One-Minute Rule. This will be relatable when you're breaking down a huge task into different steps to take.
So if a task takes under a minute to complete, do it immediately. This will help close small loops and prevent build up.
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