Jul
16

What Can Ms. Zeigarnik Teach Bloggers About Productivity?

By | Blogging

44 Comments

Look at your task list. And I’m not talking to your daily task list, but that big list (backlog) of things that you have planned to do over time.

Now, ask yourself: “How many of those tasks are fully completed, and which ones are 80-95% done?”

I bet that your task list contains a lot of blogging related tasks which are not fully complete, but they are waiting for – well, something, to be completed.

Maybe this isn’t just a case with one or two tasks. In fact, the amount of unfinished tasks may keep growing and growing continuously right along with your stress levels too.

Ultimately, that big and unfinished task list begins causing chaos, simply because you have too much to do; too many deadlines to make and you really cannot focus on anything properly.

You have a ticking time bomb on your blog’s task list.

The lost art of finishing
What you may be experiencing is nothing new: You keep starting a task or even a project when you are excited about it but as soon as the excitement starts to fade away, the completion part becomes very difficult (and in most cases things are never finished). This leads to a situation where all of a sudden you have too much stuff to handle.

Another major thing that is causing unnecessary stress and burden is an unorganized way of working. You don’t have any defined times for your work, nor do you tend to finish a post (or other blogging task for that matter) in one sitting.

Do you really know what you want?
There is a great way to add yet another item to a growing list of unfinished tasks.

Do you know what it is?

Yep, it’s trying to be part of everything while losing focus at the same time.

The sales e-mails in your inbox, social media or your blogging peers are telling you about new and compelling ways to reach success. You feel pressured to join the group because you don’t want to be left out.

Of course, this (if anything) is slowing you down and helps to grow your already huge list of unfinished tasks.

Without knowing what you want with your blogging (your “why”), it is impossible to have laser-sharp focus and ignore those shiny objects that keep trying to interfere constantly.

Know your top-level first …
In order to tackle those unfinished tasks, we have to start from the top-level first and eventually get into the details where Ms. Zeigarnik is jumping in.

First of all, know the reason for your blogging. It could be becoming a top expert related to knitting (if knitting is your topic) or becoming a go-to authority on guitar playing.

Whatever your main goal is, keep it in mind and don’t let other shiny opportunities blind you. Most likely they are not contributing to your main goal in any way and they are distracting you.

When you know your “why,” other strategies most likely will start to fall into place: Should you be growing your blog by using YouTube, Pinterest or Twitter? How much SEO you should be doing? What type of content should be created?

Once you have found your optimum strategies for growth, stick with them and ignore all those other shiny object strategies altogether. This will make your blogging life much more focused and simple.

By taking the previous step alone, we have already eliminated a lot of possible tasks that could end up on your list and stay there unfinished. However, we are not done yet.

Now that you have a pretty condensed list of tasks/project to work on, it doesn’t hurt to do an occasional review of these items as well: Are they still valid or not? Can I let them go or should I keep them on the list?

Make sure to do this frequent housekeeping to keep your task list simple and short.

Finally – let the Zeigarnik show begin!
Now, once you are done find your blogging path, have a focused strategy in place and have cleaned your task list, now you have to take care of the most important tasks on your list – and finish them! And this is where Ms.Zeigarnik comes into play.

No, I didn’t invent Ms. Zeigarnik – she was a real person.

Her full name was Bluma Zeigarnik (1901 – 1988), a Russian psychologist, who came up with a ground-breaking theory that stated: people tend to remember incomplete things better than things which are completed.

You may recognize this effect in your everyday life – not just in blogging. If there is a task or anything else that is not finished, it keeps popping up in your mind – until it’s done.

Anyway, you can consider Zeigarnik as your personal (internal) notification service which tells you which tasks are done and which are not. And as soon as you take action on those unfinished tasks, the notification service shuts itself off.

The issue with too many unfinished tasks is that your brain keeps processing them – whether you are aware of it or not.

But as soon as the work is completed your brain capacity can be freed up to something else.

To keep the Zeigarnik effect serving you it is important to have only important tasks on task your list. You can accomplish this by changing the way you work.

If you fail to accomplish this change, the Zeigarnik effect has turned against you. You have too many tasks to handle and their existence is constantly reminding you to complete them. So is it any wonder you feel stressed and overwhelmed?

The best way to handle this situation is to organize your working methods a bit.

First, know your optimum working times. It may take some testing to learn that, but once you figure it out, it is easier to move your work to those times when you are the most productive.

Next, push through the task in one go and take breaks in between.

One great way to “force” yourself to work on a task is to use a timer. Define a certain time block for a work, put the timer on and then take breaks between the sessions.

It is also important that you work in an isolated environment. This cuts down all the extra distraction and you can focus on your tasks at hand – 100%.

Now, let’s put all the pieces together
In order to take advantage of your internal notification system (aka. the Zeigarnik effect), do these following things and be aware of the increased productivity, since you actually finish your tasks:

1. Define your “why”. It all starts by defining your why: What is the ultimate blogging goal you are trying to reach?

Write it down – as detailed as possible – and keep your goal visible so that you can see it when you are working.

When you are confused or feel lost, remember that ultimate goal again and re-evaluate your current actions related to that goal.

2. Apply the right strategies. Once you know your big goal, learn the right strategies for growing it further.

For example, if you are into knitting, Pinterest could be a nice way to make connections with others knitters. If you are teaching people how to play guitar, you could use YouTube for marketing efforts.

The main point is that once you know your goal, find those other means that support that big goal and stick with these strategies – instead of following every shiny object and traffic generation technique out there.

3. Clean your task list. Most likely your blogging task list is very big. Some of the tasks are important while others are secondary.

Your job is the evaluate each one and as a question: “Is this task – when completed – contributing to my goals somehow?”. If the answer is no, then you know it’s time to let go of that task or project.

Schedule a time block in your calendar on a monthly basis for pruning the task list.

4. Know your optimum working times. Once you have the important tasks on your list and you want to finish them, figure out your optimum working times. You can use a tool like HeatMap to figure this one out.

5. Do it at once – with breaks of course. Once you get to work, try to get as much done at once as possible –  with some proper breaks of course.

A very popular way of working this way is to use Pomodoro method, where you split the work for 25 minute chunks with small tasks between the sessions.

Obviously only you know your optimum working style, so the sessions/breaks could be longer than in Pomodoro.

To help you to focus even further, use a timer when working. Even though the idea might sound very simple, timer helps you to improve your focus. You just have to test this and realize yourself.

You could use the timer on your phone, have an egg timer or use an online timer.

6. Pick the right environment. Pick the best environment for your work. If you like to work in an isolated (separate) room, that’s fine. If you get stuff done in a coffee shop, that’s fine too.

The point here is to find your optimum place for your work, so that distractions (phone, e-mail, instant messaging, other people) are disturbing your as little as possible.

Conclusion
Once the Zeigarnik starts to notify of itself, you know that you have to take action and kick those unfinished tasks forward.

Until you can effectively do that, your task list should consist of the tasks that make the biggest difference and which have the biggest effect to your blogging success.

Over to you: How do you control your blogging task list so that it doesn’t grow too big? How do you finish a task that you have once started?


Productivity Image Credit: Fuchsphoto, Blum Zeigarnik Image Credit: http://psyhistorik.livejournal.com/16254.html

You might also like:

6 Tips to Become A More Productive Blogger Blogging long term; Winning the mental game KISS: Keeping It Simple, Still – Rock-Bottom Blogging Basics We Blog Stalk : Thomas Nielsen
About Kiesha Easley

This is my blog - where I love to encourage bloggers. My hope is that you'll leave this blog with more than you came with; you'll learn something new or will at least be engaged and entertained.
In addition to teaching others how to blog, I'm also a college instructor who teaches students how to write for mass media.
I've guest posted on Problogger, DIYThemes and many others. I'm also the author of Highly Favored, a blog devoted to Christian inspiration & encouragement. Please follow me on twitter @weblogbetter or on Facebook.

The CommentLuv Plugin

Comments

  1. ZaccshegzyBlog says:
    July 16, 2012 at 6:14 am

    Wow! What an interesting subject, maybe I should call you Mr Zeigarnik, lol, anyways, I will say that you have really touched me in a possitive way, these are some of the things am facing in my day to day life. Thanks.
    ZaccshegzyBlog recently posted…Treating Acute Mountain Sickness (Danger at High Altitudes)My Profile (dofollow)

    Reply
  2. John says:
    July 16, 2012 at 6:23 am

    Like your thoughts on defining the why and the strategies and would like to build on that a bit.

    I split blog posts three ways:

    1) Show Horses – Posts that you expect to attract traffic / links in their own right; good candidates for social sharing and potentially items you show when pitching guest blog opportunities. Topics with broad appeal to which you apply very high quality writing.

    2) Work Horses – Niche topics that will appeal to a special audience; generally written to support site SEO. Requires average writing and less polish than a show horse. Frequently ranks on their own pretty quickly but won’t attract a ton of human traffic or backlinks.

    3) Kibble – Lowest quality posts, done to provide Google with fresh content and little else. Usually created using a template / strategy – general lists and/or word/topic of the day content…

    There actually is a time and place for each of these types of post. You need show horses to get links, you need work horses to rank, and you need kibble to “hold down the fort” and keep Google happy while you are off doing other things…

    Productivity tip? Figure out what level you are writing at and invest accordingly..
    John recently posted…How a $2 Discount Coupon Dispute Turned Into $150 of Lost Profit and Annoyed A Regular CustomerMy Profile (dofollow)

    Reply
  3. Robert says:
    July 16, 2012 at 7:10 am

    I can relate to this post. Those unfinished things really bugs me a lot. The solution to this seems to get my fat ass on the task and finish them up.

    Reply
  4. Julian King says:
    July 16, 2012 at 7:56 am

    This is a very interesting topic. From my point of view, I try to focus on a schedule, developed at the beginning of every week. In this manner I have a clear target and I work hard to complete all the task. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don’t, by at least I give 110% to what I do, because I really enjoy everything blogging.
    Julian King recently posted…Outdoor Chair PlansMy Profile (dofollow)

    Reply
  5. Puneet says:
    July 16, 2012 at 8:11 am

    Thats really a nice post. Thanks for posting. Productivity matters a lot in the blogging.

    Reply
  6. Ivin says:
    July 16, 2012 at 11:11 am

    Hello Timo. I can definitely resonate with you here. I am so much more productive and feel so much better when I have crossed some things off that list and feel a sense of encouragement when I do.
    Ivin recently posted…Can You Have TOO MANY Comments?My Profile (dofollow)

    Reply
  7. Jim says:
    July 16, 2012 at 11:19 am

    That’s great advice. My task list is way too long right now. It’s like you said, when I start a task I’m excited about it and get through most of it pretty fast but I lose some of that excitement towards the end and just drop it and move on to the next.

    Reply
  8. Crystal Watts says:
    July 16, 2012 at 12:52 pm

    Thanks for sharing this great article. I love the unique creativity of it!!!

    Lists, Lists, Lists – sometimes I have so many, I think I need a list to remember the lists I need to get back to. Fine tuning the list is important. As we start off projects, sometimes in the midst, you learn something new or find something better and of course choose to take a new direction. Its good to go back to your lists and revamp because sometimes those changes can alter or may even completely eliminate some of those other tasks. Hopefully the later! Yours in Success and Thanks for Sharing…
    Crystal Watts recently posted…Seven Things Every Serious Writer NeedsMy Profile (dofollow)

    Reply
  9. John Banks says:
    July 16, 2012 at 12:59 pm

    Hi,

    I try to break down my tasks into achievable ones. There is no point having a task like “get 2000 subscribers” – when your site is only getting 20 hits per day.

    Start small and work your way up. Completing tasks feels good, but the challenge should increase to test yourself each time.

    Great post.

    John
    John Banks recently posted…My Top 5 Books on Making Money OnlineMy Profile (dofollow)

    Reply
  10. Chris says:
    July 16, 2012 at 3:09 pm

    Looks like I can now cite Ms. Zeigarnik as an influence. This was a thoughtful post, well done.
    Chris recently posted…Make It Easy To Drink Water Every DayMy Profile (dofollow)

    Reply
  11. riosgang007 says:
    July 16, 2012 at 3:13 pm

    An awesome post.I really enjoyed this.Actually in blogging everyday we need to do something new,something creative.And for this we need an activity list and proper timing,perfect environment.Thanks for sharing this post.
    riosgang007 recently posted…Funny Quotes | Cover PhotosMy Profile (dofollow)

    Reply
  12. kevin says:
    July 16, 2012 at 3:30 pm

    Personally i think people fail to follow through and complete their tasks, is because of distractions. I know at least that this is a problem for me, whether it be things going on around me or the bad habit of checking my inbox when I see a notification telling me I have mail. I think that being in the right environment plays a major role, but you should also try and eliminate the distractions you have online as well.

    Reply
  13. CollegeofContent.com says:
    July 16, 2012 at 5:12 pm

    the beauty about Internet productivity is that you can work any time you please, without having to punch anyone’s 9-to-5 day job timeclock. And, no one has to know how much money you make online either!
    CollegeofContent.com recently posted…Web Design Tutorials Teach YourselfMy Profile (dofollow)

    Reply
  14. Christine Kemp says:
    July 16, 2012 at 11:37 pm

    Thanks for sharing this, Timo! These tips somehow made me reevaluate how I work and my productivity levels. Unfinished tasks are major stressors indeed and the only way to get rid of them is to, well, finish them. Then there’s the thing with distractions too which I admittedly have to minimize or completely eliminate.

    Reply
  15. Brian says:
    July 17, 2012 at 1:14 am

    Thanks Timo,
    I hadn’t heard of the Zeigarnik effect before. It makes total sense that incomplete tasks will stay at the front of your mind and completion will take some of the pressure off. Thanks for the tips.

    Reply
  16. Nayan says:
    July 17, 2012 at 1:43 am

    I can’t really relax till i get things finished off. Your posts makes me doing more of that. A good post giving good influence!
    Nayan recently posted…Top 5 Best Sony Cyber-shot Digital Cameras under Rs.10,000-Rs15,000 in India for 2012!My Profile (dofollow)

    Reply
  17. Timo Kiander says:
    July 17, 2012 at 2:26 am

    Thank you :)

    It’s great to hear such a nice feedback. :)

    Cheers,
    Timo
    Timo Kiander recently posted…Expert Time Management Interview: Focusing With Dr. Lucy Jo PalladinoMy Profile (dofollow)

    Reply
  18. Olga says:
    July 17, 2012 at 7:24 am

    I usually cannot complete something uninteresting for me. So far, all blogging tasks are interesting, because I choose them myself and don’t overload the list :) . If occasionally something gets stuck – well, the idea has to become ripe. I don’t take it as procrastination, but as a possibility to verify – do I really need this task to be completed? For me the appearance of Zeigarnik effect means, that the task is worth of efforts. If not – I can forget about the uncompleted task without the slightest sense of guilt.
    P.S. While writing it, I see that you have already gave a similar answer to one of the comments :)
    Great post, Timo, straight to the point!
    Olga recently posted…One Tectonic Exercise to Expand and Smooth Vocal StructureMy Profile (dofollow)

    Reply
  19. Erica Lane says:
    July 17, 2012 at 9:33 am

    Thanks for introducing me to Ms. Zeigarnik! Twice a day I empty my head of all of the things that I need to do. I keep a running list during the week and then on Friday prioritize and schedule the ones that really need to get done.

    Reply
  20. Aj Williams says:
    July 17, 2012 at 2:49 pm

    Defining your “why” seems to be a common ingredient for successful people. Knowing exactly why you are doing something helps you stay motivated , focused , organized, and goal oriented.
    Aj Williams recently posted…Primavera P6 Training: Applying Filters to a ProjectMy Profile (dofollow)

    Reply
  21. Adeline says:
    July 18, 2012 at 12:43 pm

    Thanks for introducing me to Ms. Zeigarnik. I must admit, with so many things to finish, I’ve found myself jumping from one task to another even if I haven’t finished the first yet. Thanks for sharing these tips to help me get back on track.
    Adeline recently posted…The Dark Side of Discounted Airline TicketsMy Profile (dofollow)

    Reply
  22. Marie says:
    July 20, 2012 at 5:23 am

    My approach is to every month collate all my tasks from all sources and make a list of all the ‘easy’ ones. Typically that is over half the task list, and I then spend that day clearing out all the easy tasks. You are normally then just left with 5-10 tasks which need more work, but at least I know with some clarity where I need to focus over the coming days.
    Marie recently posted…Ski chalet meribelMy Profile (dofollow)

    Reply
  23. Samuel says:
    August 23, 2012 at 11:47 am

    Tasks can be very over-whelming.

    But if you write them down and accomplish each one of them one by one, then things can be done much easier and the brain can focus more on your work.
    Samuel recently posted…Top WordPress Plugins To Reach The Top!My Profile (dofollow)

    Reply

Speak Your Mind

*

CommentLuv badge

This blog uses premium CommentLuv which allows you to put your keywords with your name if you have had 3 approved comments. Use your real name and then @ your keywords (maximum of 3)