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This week:

Open loops could be damaging your focus.

Here's what you can do to stop them:

Open loops are those tasks, thoughts or questions that keep popping up in your mind as you try to focus.

It's that random thought. Or remembering to do that thing when you're trying to focus on work.

Your brain hates open loops and will always try to close them.

So until you close the loop they'll keep popping up. This can take up mindspace. Leaving you less room for the task that needs your focus.

So if you want to maximise your focus, you need to close the open loops.

Here's 2 things I've been doing to close open loops:

1. Do the thing

If it takes less than 2 minutes to do. Do the thing.

David Allen talks about the 2 minute rule in his book Get Things Done. Instead of adding a task to your to do list, If it takes less than 2 minutes to do, just do it while you remember. And clear it from your mind.

It's a quick win to free up your focus.

2. Write it down.

Take a few minutes before starting focus work to ask "what's on my mind?"

Make a note of whatever comes to mind and plan time later to come back and deal with the dump.

Don't worry if you can't think of anything at the time.

Just add things to the brain dump as they pop up while you're working.

Once it's out of your mind. It frees up space.

Your brain stops worrying about forgetting it and you can go back to focusing on what you were doing.

3. Do a weekly review.

At the end of the week set 30 minutes aside to review your brain dump.

Go through your brain dump and process any open loops.

It's like resetting your mental canvas.

Are open loops draining your focus?

Try the above tips and see if they help.

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Stay Thriving,

Shoaib.