How Can You Harness The Mental Pull Of Unfinished Tasks?

A couple of posts ago, I wrote about the Zeigarnik Effect – the brain’s tendency to remember unfinished tasks more easily than finished ones.

In that post, I wrote about how this can lead to feeling both unproductive – because you forget what you have accomplished – and overwhelmed – because all those unfinished tasks demand your attention.But there is also a positive side to the brain’s preferential memory for the unfinished.

As Bluma Zeigarnik was investigating memory for unfinished versus finished tasks back in 1928, her colleague Maria Ovsiankina was investigating the relationship between unfinished tasks and productivity. Her findings, named the “Ovsiankina Effect” by some psychologists, showed that people tend to be more motivated to complete interrupted or unfinished tasks than to start something new.

The Ovsiankina Effect makes sense. Cognitive activity associated with an unfinished task is like a mosquito buzzing around the brain – the noise effectively reminds us that it’s there but it’s also annoying. Just as we have an urge to swat a mosquito, we have an urge to finish the task in order to close the cognitive loop and quiet the noise.

Unfinished tasks can also be more enticing than starting something new because they often take less mental effort. Artists and others are very aware of the inertia that must be overcome when starting something new. Ideas must be marshalled, an initial approach must be identified, materials must be gathered, and the blank canvas must be faced. Continuing with a work in progress, on the other hand, usually don’t take the same kind of mental effort – the process is already rolling and we need only hop on.

How can you can take advantage of the cognitive momentum of unfinished tasks?

Use Unfinished Tasks to Jumpstart Your Day

Leaving something unfinished at the end of the day can give you an easy on-ramp into the new day.

Although there is something nice about walking into a clean organized art studio at the beginning of my day, it can also be paralyzing. What should I do? What should I work on first? How should I start? Hmmm… maybe I’ll just go for a coffee.  

Lately, I have found it easier to start a studio session if there is something that needs doing, like organizing my paint tubes or tidying up my table. Sometimes even small unfinished tasks like these are enough for me to overcome the inertia of a new day and get me into a studio flow.

I also like leaving myself notes about unfinished pieces – even somewhat vague things like “resolve the background” or “the nose needs work” are enough to point my attention at things unfinished and give me an easy way to pull myself back into the piece.

Take a Break in the Middle Of Something

How many times have you thought, “I’m ready for a break, but I just want to finish this one thing first.” It is counterintuitive, but sometimes it can be better to take that break when you are not quite done.

For one thing, as described above, leaving something unfinished can give you an easy way back into the work after your break. For me, this is especially true if I jot down a quick reminder of my next step.

But by taking a break midstream you can also take advantage of your brain’s tendency to keep processing unfinished “problems” – or paintings, as I like to call them. While I am out getting a coffee, or taking a walk, or visiting with studiomates, I am giving my subconscious an opportunity to mull things over.

This technique can be particularly effective when I’ve hit a dead end or when whatever is on the easel just isn’t coming together no matter how hard I push it. After a break, I often come back and see the piece in a new light which helps illuminate a way forward.

Start Something New Before You Finish What You’re Working On

For artists, completing something – whether it’s a single painting or a solo exhibition – can give us a huge sense of satisfaction but also, paradoxically, quickly leave us feeling empty. Accomplishments often mentally shrink over time as does the sense of satisfaction we got from them. And once again, we find ourselves stuck in the inertia of the blank canvas and the lack of direction.

One way to soften the post project slump is by starting a new piece or project before you finish the old one. This won’t appeal to everyone – some people prefer to finish one thing at a time without getting distracted by something new. But the new start doesn’t necessarily have to be big to be effective. Even a small start on something new – sketching out ideas for a new piece or prepping some boards for new work – can be useful.

Just by making a start, you can give your brain something to chew on in the background, increase your motivation for getting back to work once the current project is done, and give yourself a way in.

Know Yourself

There are many times when quieting the call of unfinished tasks outweighs the benefits of keeping them active.

Leaving something unfinished can help you jumpstart your day but it can also stress you out and make it difficult to switch off at night. Encouraging unsolved problems to ruminate in your subconscious can help you find a way forward but it can also interrupt your sleep.

What works for you will depend on your purpose, your own individual style, and how you’re feeling in the moment.

Do you ever intentionally leave things unfinished or do you like to start a new day with a clean slate?

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