Close the Loop

Do you ‘Close the Loop’ each and every time you have a task to compete? Or are you that person that starts a million things and finishes none? Or perhaps you’re that person who leaves people hanging because you don’t like making decisions or letting people down.

If you’re nodding your head, just like I did when I first heard about this idea, then I hope the following concept has the same positive impact on you. In the short time that I have been practicing this concept, I now have greater awareness around the impact this was having on my own life. But more importantly I now understand the impact it has on everyone else I connect with. As a result I now feel empowered to Close the Loop whenever I can. I hope this strategy helps you too.

Open loop v closed loop

You may be wondering what is the difference. Basically an open loop occurs each time you choose to not respond to a text or email, make a decision at work or decide on what colour to paint the walls. It’s when your friend invites you out for dinner, you know it clashes with something else you have on. But because you really want to go out for dinner, and you don’t want to let her down, you don’t respond either way with a yes or a no. When we take that simple next step and take the time to respond we essentially close the loop. So as we go about our day we want to try and close as many of our open loops as possible.

Why do we need to close the loop? 

The problem is that until you make a decision yes or no you can’t move forward nor can the person who is waiting for your response move forward and take the next steps they need.

Open loops are also a huge drain on your energy. Our brains are wired to get things done and love completion, so when something is hanging out there as a possibility, it keeps recurring in your mind until you resolve it. That makes you tired, and can keep you up — or even wake you up — late at night.

It also has a huge impact on the person who is awaiting your response and i’m sure you can all recall a time when you’ve waited patiently for a response from a friend or co worker. Think about how many times you check your phone or email to see if they have written back yet, then you might spend some time wondering what is holding them up and then it may distract you from the tasks that really need your attention. 

Ultimately closing the loop is another way we can shown our friends and colleagues that we respect their headspace as much as our own! For every open task you have their is someone else who needs to hold space in their head for you until you make a decision or respond.

How will this process positively impact your work day.

The more loops you close the quicker you will move from a state of drowning – picture a never-ending string of tasks and communications sitting on your “desk”, waiting for you to address them. To a state of accomplishment – you will still have a full plate, but because you now have the ability to close the loop, when your workday is done you will walk away with a sense of accomplishment and the ability to turn your attention to things outside of work that truly matter. 

How can you apply this at work.

1. Respond to an email the first time you read it. Don’t file it for later, as you will need to use the same energy each and every time you go back to the email and then respond.
2. Make sure that at the end of each meeting there are clear guidelines around who is responsible for each action and when it is due. This will ensure everyone knows what they need to do and can focus their time and energy accordingly.
3. Chunk your day into smaller work blocks and stay accountable to the time you have allocated to each task. As an example I chunk my day into 60min time blocks and at the end of each block I move on. If the task is not completed I ask myself how much extra time do I need and when across my week will I have time to revisit the task. 

So if like me you are always looking for ways to be more productive and have less thoughts running around in your brain. Give this idea a go and see how quickly it has a positive impact on your day.

That is it from me today, I hope you have a calm and restful day, one that brings you joy. One free from anxiety and as Positivity and Happiness are Contagious… Start your own Happiness ripple today!