The Zeigarnik Effect: How to Use Open Loops to Make Your Habits Stick

🧠 We have Unfinished Business

Ever notice how you can’t stop thinking about that email you meant to reply to?

Or how a half-finished project lingers in your brain more than the one you completed?

That’s the Zeigarnik Effect, first discovered by psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik in 1927. Many studies have shown that our brains retain unfinished tasks better than completed ones.

One such study by Baumeister & Masicampo (2011) found that uncompleted goals create cognitive tension, which actually drives us to finish what we started.

The problem? Most people let this effect work against them by ruminating on tasks they should do but never finish.

But what if you could flip it and make it work for you?

What if, instead of fighting against incomplete tasks, you could use them as a habit-forming superpower?

The Basket Case

Many years ago, I bought a non-running Harley that was mostly a bunch of parts in boxes. I didn't have a garage, so I unloaded it all in the living room of my tiny San Francisco apartment.

Armed with the shop manual, I started rebuilding the motor. There was never enough time. As soon as I'd get in a groove with this greasy jigsaw puzzle that reeked of gasoline, it was time to stop. Time to go to go sleep or time to go to work.

But when I was away from the bike, I couldn't stop thinking about how the next pieces would fit together. It was as if my brain desperately needed to close the loop. This ultimate unfinished task pulled me back in for weeks to come.

Eventually, I realized I was tapping into a powerful part of my own psychology. I didn’t need a motivation hack; I just needed an open loop waiting for me. And I could apply it to a habit just as easily as a task.

5 Ways to Use the Zeigarnik Effect to Build Unstoppable Habits

1. Never “Finish” a Task Completely

When building a habit, don’t wrap things up too neatly. Leave something intentionally unfinished so your brain wants to return.

→ Writing? Stop mid-sentence so you have a clear starting point tomorrow.

→ Reading? Pause at a gripping moment instead of a chapter break.

→ Working out? Leave one set unfinished so you feel compelled to complete it the next day.

Creative work? Stop a design, song, or project at an exciting stage so your brain craves the next step.

2. Start Tiny -Then Stop

Momentum builds when a task is left undone. If you want to start journaling, don’t aim for a full entry. Write one sentence and walk away. Your brain will nag you to come back.

3. Use “Unfinished” Checklists

Instead of checking off a task completely, mark it as in progress. This subtle trick makes your brain treat it as unfinished business, keeping your motivation alive.

4. Cliffhangers Aren’t Just for Episodic Shows

End your work sessions on a high note. When practicing a new skill, stop right before you “solve” something. That way, you’ll be itching to dive back in tomorrow.

5. Harness the Anxiety of Open Loops

If you’ve ever felt restless about unfinished work, you already know the power of the Zeigarnik Effect. Instead of pushing it away, let that tension drive you to take action sooner rather than later.

Don’t Close the Loop...Yet

Most habit advice is about discipline, and for good reason. But the road to unbending discipline can have many twists and turns. The Zeigarnik Effect lets you work with your brain’s natural tendencies instead of fighting them.

Your Challenge: Pick one habit you want to build and apply one of these Zeigarnik hacks. Open a loop, and let your brain need to close it.

Find your next edge,

Eli