Closed loops
So satisfying.
Checking off that 30 minute task that’s been itching your mind and you finally got time to knock out.
Hanging up after dealing with that important call you were dreading which had been on the calendar for a couple of days.
Dropping that box at the post office for the eBay sale of that thing that was too specialized and useful to throw away or donate, and needed a new home because it was cluttering your shop for the last two years (hey I just printed the label for one of these).
Shipping that thing that you have been working on for a weeks with care and purpose.
Slamming your computer shut knowing you’re going to be off-grid for a few days, and that all loose ends are dealt with and someone you trust has got you covered.
Open loops
Did you open them or did someone else open them up within you?
That incomplete task that pops into your mind that you need to deal with a blocker on, but takes just enough time that you can’t seem to deal with it.
That call that’s on your calendar for tomorrow that you’re dreading (or excited about).
That thing that’s taking up space in your workshop that you don’t want anymore but is too good and useful to just toss, you need to put it on eBay so it finds a proper home.
The looming finish line for that thing you’ve been working on, and really think people are gonna love if you can just get it out the door without ONE MORE goddamn delay from scope creep and final last minute detailing
That knotted mess of loose ends you know you need to deal with before you can put up your favorite witty/lightly rude out-of-office and go meander through the woods for a couple days and remind yourself what living really feels like. Oh, and remember to check the expiration date on that bear spray.
Driven to closure
Humans are goal-oriented status-seeking monkeys. The goal-seeking behavior is wired into us in two primary feelings:
Pressure / Relief. Achieving the goal makes a condition stop. This is negative reinforcement. It’s loses impact over time as we acclimate to the tortures. We avoid it.
Tension / Satisfaction. Achieving the goal provides a reward. This is positive reinforcement. It works over and over again, and we learn to want more. We crave it.
We all seek closure, and want to make pressure go away and chase satisfaction. Open loops chew up mental cycles and jam up working memory. That feeling of “being buried” is often simply having too many open loops. Closing loops, whether they held pressure or tension, feels good.
Opening / Closing
Loops are where most progress between people happens. Learn how to close a loop, and have the intuition to understand when one is open and how to open one, and whether it should be tension or pressure is needed.
Start inside
If this is new to you, begin with yourself. Learn to recognize and manage your own Loops, which teaches how to identify them around you, create loops in others, and resist them.
Want a starting point? Grab a sheet of paper and brain-dump all the loops you think you have onto it. Spend five minutes, then put it down. For the rest of the day, when you notice a new Loop, add it to the list, and if you close them, cross them off. Revisit the list the next day, adding first thing in the morning, and then going throughout the day.
Examine your Loop list at the end of the day.
Which items are driven by Pressure vs. Tension? A quick way to do this is just putting a P or T next to the item, and then rank from -3 (quite bad) to +3 (real good).
What were the triggers that stand out for each loop — environmental, temporal, relationships, etc?
Closure actions: What closes each loop?
Closed Loops: What was the specific thing or moment that triggered Relief or Satisfaction? Which things felt good or bad?
Open Loops remaining: what will close them? How quickly can you knock those things out?
Now you know how to manage your own loops. Time for making loops inside of others.
Move outside
Loops drive human behavior. As I said before: all progress between people happens here.
Knowing thyself earns the keys which unlock others.
Three patterns escalate in complexity and capability.
Effective closure. Simple way to make everybody’s life better. When someone hands you an open loop, close it in a way that requires as few steps as possible from everyone involved. A basic one: the email request where you respond in such a way so that confirmation from them is not necessary. “If we’re all set, I’ll consider this closed — no need to reply unless you need something else.” It’s a wordy but clear starting point; build finesse over time so that this message gets built into the content. Why did messaging apps build reaction emoji? Short loop closure. So, how can you tailor your messages enabling you to close the conversation with just a reaction emoji?
Loop-judo. Recognize open loop, and put it on the other person so that you are closed and they are open, bonus if you can do it such that you can reopen at will. This is the “if you don’t hear from me in two weeks, email me and I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.” You are closed and they are open, but you can reopen if you need to. This is also the beauty of scheduling links (and the root of why people dislike them) “book a meeting with me at your convenience” pushes the loop onto the other person who wants your time. Never be the blocker, always get out of the way so and this drives others.
Inception. With the basics of loop-mechanics under your belt, now we can abstract the loops away into Satisfaction. Why not start here? Because amateur-hour folks start here, and don’t have the mechanics right — you can recognize these people by their overtly just swinging sticks and dangling carrots. When they half-assed a blatant carrot, and nobody responded, then there’s a tantrum and the sticks come out. You, dear reader, have a more methodical approach, using more nuanced tools at hand to craft your own style. Understand that everyone has a Loop-list, and while the list items all rhyme, the triggers and rewards are all very personal. When discussing work, feel out the triggers and rewards for each person. When it comes to an item that needs doing, understand — either empathically or through clear discussion — what will drive closure and where how you can help them get the most satisfaction. Then just do that: help them achieve ultimate satisfaction or relief, making sure to manage their loop without making it your own loop.
Looping is everywhere. That “So satisfying” feeling at the top? You can engineer it. For yourself and for others. That’s the skill. The question isn’t whether you have loops — you do, right now, reading this. The question is what you do with the ones you’re holding.
Are you managing your loops or are they being used to manage you?