Open loops tax memory

An unfinished task occupies more mind than a finished one of equal size. Psychologists have long observed that incomplete work stays active — not as useful reminder, but as background noise.

The fix is not to finish everything. It is to give each loop a next physical action and a place to live outside your head. A written next step is cheaper than a mental rehearsal.

If you cannot take the step now, write the first verb: email, outline, call, file. Vague nouns such as “taxes” or “the project” do not close loops. They rename them.