Jim Kwik explains the Zeigarnik effect: your brain hates unfinished tasks. A psychologist noticed waiters remembered orders perfectly until they were delivered, then forgot them instantly. Starting something creates an open loop your mind wants to close, which is why you binge shows and why beginning a task makes you more likely to finish it.
Dr. Zeigarnik was a psychologist, and she was going to a cafe in Europe, and she would notice that the waitstaff would remember everyone's order at this cafe until the order was delivered. As soon as the order was delivered, the waitstaff would forget that order. And she calls it the Zeigarnik effect, but the effect specifically is the human mind does not like open loops. It's just like when you see a trailer or the ending of your favorite TV show, you can't wait the next week till the next episode comes out, and it makes you watch you binge-watch it all online because your brain doesn't like that open loop at the end and it needs to keep going to close that loop. Just like with this waitstaff, it has an open loop and it gets closed. And once that closure has happened, the order is delivered, then you can forget it. This is how you employ it. It means start somewhere. The Zeigarnik effect says if you're gonna start something, you're much more likely to finish it.
The Library of Minds: Brain Coach: How to Stay Sharp When AI Does the Thinking | Jim Kwik
