Getting Things Done /// David Allen

Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.

You’re halfway through your third Zoom call of the day, your Slack is lighting up, and you just remembered—again—that you still haven’t followed up on that proposal. You’ve thought about it five times today but it hasn’t moved an inch. That’s not “staying on top of it.” That’s an open loop.

There’s usually an inverse relationship between the amount something is on your mind and how much progress you’re making on it. The more something lingers—looping in the background of your brain—the more likely it’s stuck in some way, and your brain is burning mental energy trying to keep it alive.