The Zeigarnik effect etablish that our brain stay occupied with a task until it is done or written down and better remember of unfinished or ineterrupted tasks better than completed tasks. This is why todos are so useful: by writing tasks down, we're fighting the Zeigarnik effect and free our [Working memory](Working%20memory.md). This is one of the effect that make [Multitasking counterproductive](Multitasking%20is%20counterproductive.md), as we fill our head with multiple tasks at the same time and try to switch between each. As [Focus isn't what we do but what we don't do](202106172211%20Focus%20isn't%20what%20we%20do%20but%20what%20we%20don't%20do.md), we better have to write down opened tasks to get rid of the Zeigarnik effect and focus on the tasks that matter. ## References - [How To Take Smart Notes - Sönke Ahrens](How%20To%20Take%20Smart%20Notes%20-%20Sönke%20Ahrens.md) - [Zeigarnik effect - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeigarnik_effect)