Focus
Write it down to stop thinking about it
5 min read · Updated
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Unfinished tasks keep circling until they have a plan, not only until they are done.
- Making a concrete plan reduced distracting thoughts about unfinished goals (Masicampo and Baumeister).
- Writing a to-do list before bed helped people fall asleep faster than writing about finished tasks (Scullin and colleagues).
- For each item write what, when and where it lives, in one place you trust.
It's 11 pm. You're tired. And your head starts: the email to the school, the car service, the present for Saturday, that thing at work.
Nothing has happened. Nothing is urgent. But it won't stop.
Why do unfinished things keep coming back?
Because your mind keeps a tab open for everything that isn't done or planned yet. It checks in, again and again, so you don't forget.
That's useful during the day. At 11 pm it's exhausting.
Does writing it down really help?
Yes, with one important detail: it works best when you make a plan, not just a note.
Psychologists E.J. Masicampo and Roy Baumeister asked people to think about a goal they hadn't finished. Those thoughts kept popping up while they did something else. But when people wrote down a concrete plan for that goal, the distracting thoughts dropped, even though the goal still wasn't done.
You don't have to finish it to stop thinking about it. You have to decide when.
Everything in sight. On one board.
Tasks, notes, photos and plans as cards on one calm board. No charge today. Cancel anytime.
Start 7 days freeOr see all templates →What about before bed?
There's research on that too. Michael Scullin and colleagues had people spend five minutes before bed either writing a to-do list for the coming days, or writing about what they had already done. The to-do group fell asleep faster.
How do I write it down the right way?
For every thing that's circling, write one line with three parts:
- What: "Email the school about the trip"
- When: "Tomorrow, after drop-off"
- Where it lives: on today, this week, or later
That third part matters. A note on a random scrap of paper doesn't calm your head, because your head doesn't trust it.
What if it's a worry, not a task?
Write it down too. Then add one small next step, even if it's tiny: "Ask Anna what she thinks." Or "Look at it on Saturday."
A worry with a next step is lighter than a worry with nothing.
When should I do this?
- Whenever a thought keeps returning: write it down straight away
- Every evening, five minutes: empty your head before bed
- Once a week: go through everything and plan the week
How does a board help?
A board gives every line a place you trust: today, this week, waiting on, later. You see it in the morning, so your head doesn't have to remember it overnight.
More on why that works: why you lose track.
The full board
Your 5-minute evening reset
Screenshot this:
- Write down everything that's circling
- For each line: what, when, where it lives
- Worries get a small next step
- One place for everything
- Then close the board, and sleep
Tonight, before bed, set a timer for five minutes. Write everything down. Give each line a day.
Questions
Why do I keep thinking about unfinished tasks?
Your mind keeps checking in on things that are not done or planned yet, so you do not forget them.
Does writing things down really help me stop thinking about them?
Yes, especially when you make a concrete plan. Research by Masicampo and Baumeister found that planning reduced distracting thoughts about unfinished goals.
Does writing a to-do list before bed help you sleep?
In a study by Scullin and colleagues, people who wrote a to-do list for the coming days before bed fell asleep faster than people who wrote about finished tasks.
How should I write down my tasks?
Write what it is, when you will do it and where it lives, like today, this week or later, all in one place.
What should I do with worries?
Write them down and add one small next step, even a tiny one.
Sources
- Masicampo, E. J., & Baumeister, R. F. (2011). Consider it done! Plan making can eliminate the cognitive effects of unfulfilled goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(4), 667–683.
- Scullin, M. K., Krueger, M. L., Ballard, H. K., Pruett, N., & Bliwise, D. L. (2018). The effects of bedtime writing on difficulty falling asleep: A polysomnographic study comparing to-do lists and completed activity lists. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 147(1), 139–146.
Try it on your own board.
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