Utkarsh Amitabh (CEO of Network Capital) explains that how we end periods—days, weeks, projects, holidays—strongly shapes how we remember them. Citing Daniel Kahneman’s Peak-End effect, he recommends creating small positive micro-rewards at endings and avoiding negative interactions (e.g., arguments, online debates) so that ordinary days aren’t spoiled by a poor finish. He acknowledges genuine tragedies where processing pain is necessary, but urges micro-interventions to preserve cherished memories. The video closes with a brief call-to-action to visit NetworkCapital TV and subscribe.
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Endings matter much more than we realize or give credit to. I'm Utkarsh. I've written and spoken about endings in multiple contexts, given a TED Talk. But today I'm here to tell you about how when the end of a month arrives, how you decide to end a workday or a work week has a profound impact on how you remember it. So it's really important that when you're closing out your day, you try and end on a high. Try and do something that really charges you for the next day. When you're concluding the day, try not to get into an argument with somebody, try not to pick up a debate on Twitter, because it will, of course, interfere with your sleep. But also the way you wake up and remember the day gone by will be what happened towards the very end. Daniel Kahneman has written extensively about this subject called the Peak End Fallacy, where our brains are not wired to think in facts and figures. We think in stories. And when you think of stories, we tend to remember the beginning, the peaks in the middle, and the end. So whenever I try to conclude a holiday, a workday, an important project, a review of sorts, even an article, I try and create a small reward for myself. And this micro reward or this little nothing helps me process and create a little memory that adds a cherry on the topping. There are days when unfortunate tragedies happen and we have to deal with difficult circumstances. At times like that, it can be really challenging. But I'm not asking you to create a fake illusion of truth. Sometimes you have to sit and process the pain and figure out how you deal with it. But if you're like most people, general days are spoiled because we did something unintentionally, perhaps, that spoiled or ruined the memory of the entire experience. So the call to action for all of you is to really understand the power of endings in twisting the way you remember the entire story. Once you visualize that, once you figure that out, you will be able to take micro actions, make micro interventions to ensure that your day or your week or your project or whatever that matters to you remains a cherished memory. Isn't that what all of us want? I hope this was useful. I'm Utkarsh, the CEO of Network Capital. Feel free to check us out on NetworkCapital TV. And if you like what we're doing, don't forget to subscribe. Take care.
