The Zeigarnik Effect

[@oyamaHemingwayEffectHow2018]

is a psychological phenomenon describing a tendency to remember interrupted or incomplete tasks or events more easily than tasks that have been completed

suggests that students who suspend their study to perform unplanned energizing distractions ¹ / unrelated activities (such as studying a different subject or playing a game), will remember material better than students who complete study sessions without a break

The Power of Cliffhangers: Stop When You Know What Comes Next:

• In practice, intentionally/strategically leaving certain pieces of your work/tasks/projects at a cliffhanger or an incomplete/unfinished/unresolved point can boost your motivation and engagement when you resume.
• By leveraging and applying the Zeigarnik Effect, you can optimize productivity and make progress feel more seamless / make it easier to come back and dive into the flow during the next session.
  • This technique aids in…
    • maintaining continued forward momentum
    • enhancing natural curiosity and creativity by allowing your subconscious mind to work on the problem during breaks

Footnotes

1. 被打斷或許不是一件壞事，因爲每一個干擾出現時，就創造了一個決策時刻/決定點。 ↩