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Hey there! Welcome back to The Flow by Flocus. And to the 8,020 new subscribers this week, hello and welcome 👋 If you’re new, you can catch up on our previous editions right here.

This week: We're diving into the concept of open loops and why they’re so detrimental to your productivity — plus steps you can take to close those loops and focus on what’s important. Let’s get to it!

➿ What’s an Open Loop?

An open loop is any unfinished task.

Open loops linger, pile up, and create a subtle but persistent burden on your mental resources. They’re like a bunch of open tabs in the browser of your brain.

They can vary in priority and importance, from small things you “should” do at some point, to essential tasks:

• Unanswered messages

• Appointments not scheduled

• Borrowed items not returned

• Travel plans made but not booked

• Clean laundry to fold and put away

• Incomplete applications

and any other “unfinished business” in your life!

Juggling a lot of open, unresolved loops creates even more work for yourself, which often comes with hidden costs. For example, submitting your college application late can cause extra delays and even fees.

🧠 How Open Loops Hijack Your Focus

Open loops can be major distractions. They tend to pop up at the most awkward times, like while you’re studying or doing deep work.

It takes about 23 minutes to fully re-focus after even a quick disruption, which means open loops can really hinder your progress on tasks that require lots of brainpower.

Too many open loops can drain your emotional energy as well, causing you to feel extra stressed and guilty.

Fortunately, there are some easy, low-friction ways to manage your open loops — scroll on!

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🪢 How to Close Your Open Loops

Mastering open loops starts with catching those distracting thoughts and tasks, then capturing them to address at a better time.

Here are our top tips, backed by both science and real-life experience!

💡 Start a brain dump

Getting all those open loops out of your head and into a list can help you feel less overwhelmed right away.

Take 20 minutes and write down everything “unfinished” you can think of.

Set a recurring reminder to do this every Sunday or Monday before you jump into the week!

🔍 Decide which loops are worth closing

As you review your open loops, decide which ones you should:

• Do now

• Delegate to someone else

• Delay for a later date

• Delete altogether

Once you’ve got your must-dos, set due dates for each one, and decide when you’ll work on them. Break things down into smaller steps if needed.

When you’ve got clear expectations and priorities set, non-urgent tasks won’t clutter your mind.

⚡ Start with the easiest loop

Ticking an item off your list gives you the jumpstart you need to build momentum.

Starting with the easiest task and working your way up to the hardest will help you ramp up gently, prevent procrastination, and keep burnout at bay.

🏓 Make it fun or appealing

You’re more likely to procrastinate on things you don’t enjoy.

Find small ways to make your to-do list feel like less of a chore: throw on your favorite playlist, light a candle, or whatever else you like to do to get in the groove!

🧑‍🏫 Train your brain

Devoting your full focus and attention to one task at a time is hard work.

Practicing mindfulness, blocking out distractions, and setting boundaries with fellow students and colleagues are great ways to cultivate the mental discipline you need for razor-sharp focus.

💆 Be gentle with yourself

Closing every loop is near on impossible — new ones open all the time in our work, school, and personal lives.

But with the right process in place for capturing and closing loops, you can reduce stress, gain more mental clarity, and focus more effectively on what’s truly important.

🪅 Flocus Picks

A curated list of things worth sharing.

• Attention Span (Book) — Interested in more ways to improve your attention span? This read by Gloria Mark covers practical tips to stay in your flow state.

• Notion Calendar (App) — Cron is now Notion Calendar! We’ve used Cron for a while and really enjoy its simplicity and details (like the menu bar integration).

• Study Habits for 2024 (TikTok) — Becky Mae runs through some proven study methods that helped

🖥️ Check out Flocus, our free, browser-based dashboard, for more tools to help you close those loops! Featuring a custom Pomodoro timer, ambient sounds, aesthetic backgrounds, and more.

We’ve got some juicy new features dropping soon, so keep an eye out 👀

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If you’re easily distracted by open loops, try these tips to reclaim your attention and make meaningful progress on the big things!

Until next Sunday,
Flocus Team