It turns out you can’t quit.
Your brain will continue to waste resources trying to accomplish your goals, even after you attempt to switch tasks or give up.
So what’s the best way to reclaim executive function? Make sure you have a realistic plan for how to complete each of your goals before you try to switch to a new task. Tests show that this is the quickest and most effective way to regain full mental focus on whatever you want to do next.
4 Responses to “Unfulfilled goals interfere with tasks that require executive functions”
January 26
Kaj Sotala“You can’t quit” seems too strong of a summary, given this bit from the abstract: “Study 4 found that the effect was moderated by individual differences; participants who reported a tendency to shift readily amongst their various pursuits showed no task interference. “
January 26
Louie HelmYes, technically you can avoid the distraction of uncompleted goals by having “low goal tenacity” (the attribute Study 4 found that correlated with non-distraction).
But “low goal tenacity” also correlates highly with not completing goals! So a less optimistic interpretation of Study 4 is something like “people who expect to fail aren’t distracted by failure”.
January 26
MalcolmMcCThe advice sounds related to the GTD motto of writing everything down.
April 5
janiceI gave two unfulfilled goals – one because life stepped in and changed everything in hand. What I had previously wanted had changed but my mind had not been able to fulfill the goal and still hankers after it—-wondering. The second changed due to circumstance and I was unable to fulfil it – now my mind seems littered with thoughts of how to achieve these – whilst another part of me is doing something different. I would like that bit of brain power back but I wonder until I am shown a way forward how do I deal with this!