☄️ Preemptively Closing Loops & Go Bags
Yeah, that's right. Another post about loop closing — do the thing immediately or write it down. It's just too darn effective to put on the back burner. See Exhibit A, a couple messages I received a week or so ago:
A few weeks back, I opined on the value of adding a preliminary step: before you do or write down the task, decide if you should do the task in the first place. Otherwise, you default to taking on everything, fully accomplishing very little.
Today, I'm thinking about another addition to the framework: closing loops before they even have a chance to open.
Here's a picture to demonstrate the point:
This is my go bag within a go bag. More specifically, it's my Topo Briefcase, Peak Designs Tech Pouch, huge but wonderful Anker Power Bank, Anker 3-in-1 Charging Station, and Anker Prime 100W Charger (all Amazon affiliate links — I look forward to spending the one point five cents I earn if every imaginable reader uses those links to buy those products). My go bag also contains my gluten enzymes. Thanks for asking.
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I'm on the road a lot. The fewer decisions I have to make before I head out, the better. Something as simple as having a bag that's ready to go without much thought effectively closes loops before they even open — I don't have to create a task list of things I need to pack, I just have to grab the Topo.
So here's my working revision of the closing loops strategy:
- Preemptively close loops where you can
- When a potential task arrives, ask whether you should take on that task
- If you take on the task, do it right away if possible / logical
- If you can't do it right away, write it down in a place you'll come back to later
Before long, this'll be a twenty step process. Enjoy it being this short while you can.
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Hurricane Helene was devastating and heartbreaking. A trusted colleague recommended The Appalachia Funder Network's Helene Response Fund as a way to support locally the most impacted communities. That's where I'll be donating, and I encourage you to do the same.