Keep only one major open loop at a time

Limit yourself to one large incomplete project so the pull is focused, not scattered.

Why it works

Multiple competing open loops each bid for working-memory attention simultaneously. The result is the opposite of productive tension: anxious switching, none of the tasks receiving coherent effort, and a sense of being behind everywhere. Restricting the active major project to one channels the Zeigarnik pull into a single, powerful attentional current instead of fragmenting it.

How to do it

1. Identify your single most important incomplete project and name it explicitly.
2. Formally pause other major projects: write their current status and exact next step, then file them.
3. Work the active project until natural closure before opening the next loop.
4. Resist the pull to start multiple things simultaneously when momentum flags.

Evidence

Research on attention and task-switching shows significant cognitive costs when multiple tasks compete for limited working-memory resources. This supports the principle of limiting simultaneous major commitments, though the one-loop heuristic is a practitioner application. (mechanistic)

Strictly one major project may not fit all roles; the principle is minimizing competing open loops, not necessarily achieving perfect singularity.

Common mistake

Confusing one major loop with stopping all other work -- it means one primary engine, while routine tasks continue in the background.