Today, in my developmental detour, I am exposed to the idea of open loops.

I’m intrigued, because I hadn’t realized just how much open loops affect me from day to day. Seriously.

The lesson was on utilizing open loops to keep conversations going and your audience interested. Fascinating, so I went ahead and used the Google to learn more, before my goldfish-sized attention span could forget about them again.

Yes, again.

Open loops have quite an effect, psychologically speaking. Think about that “to-do list” you’ve been working on. How many items on the list are complete? Great!

Now, how many have managed to linger? These are open loops. These are sapping your energy and productivity, causing you to procrastinate (further), overwhelming, and depressing you. These are killing you.

For instance, here’s a sample of my list (in no way complete, merely stream-of-consciousness):

• Call _____ and follow up on that opportunity.
• Draft a proposal for a project that was requested last month.
• Outline the current project and set milestones/deadlines.
• Clean the house.
• Change the oil and coolant in the car and list it for sale.
• Research new cell phone providers, hopefully finding a service you’re okay with paying for because your phone actually has data service.

Okay, there’s more to my list, but there’s enough here to illustrate the point. Not unlike holding court in conversation, these loops hold a place in my mind. They constantly hold some of my attention.

Each and every open loop I’ve got running is utilizing my energy. One blog I read likened it to a smartphone running too many apps. No wonder I require frequent naps! No wonder I don’t feel like getting anything done!

I’ve forgotten what completing a task actually feels like!

On that note, I’ll end this post and make that phone call.