The Incomplete Action Syndrome
Fatigue, irritability, drowsiness, lack of energy, and a general disinterest in everything going on around you—these unpleasant states are most often caused by accumulated stress. However, there is another, less well-known but equally important reason: the “Incomplete Action Syndrome.”
What Is Incomplete Action Syndrome?
Every day, we either complete or plan to complete dozens of tasks—big and small, important and trivial. But for various reasons, not all of them reach their logical conclusion. Some end differently than we hoped, and some never even get started. And then… usually, nothing seems to happen. We simply “switch” to something else, trying to compensate for what we didn’t accomplish by doing something else, even if it’s less important to us, or we try to quickly distract ourselves from the failure as if it never happened.
The real problem, however, is that this “switching” only happens on the surface, not internally. Physiologically, an unresolved task remains an active source of tension in the brain’s cortex, draining the body’s energy. Our body keeps trying, day and night, to help us complete what we planned, not realizing that we may have already given up or postponed it indefinitely.
How Unfinished Business Affects Us
Unfulfilled promises, unsent corrections, uncertainty about the fate of a project—each day, the number of “unfinished business” grows, taking more and more energy just to keep them in the background. This is when seemingly “unexplained” headaches and a lack of energy for new plans and ideas start to appear. Just like a slow internet connection bogged down by too many unfinished downloads, our quality of life, emotional vibrancy, and creativity begin to suffer.
What Can You Do?
Unnecessary sources of mental tension need to be extinguished, and unfinished tasks should either be completed or canceled. The challenge is that much of what’s left undone is buried deep inside us, and to address it, we need to bring it to the surface. This means recalling everything you failed to do in the past, what you’re currently planning, and what, for some reason, still isn’t finished.
Cross out, as much as possible, anything that’s no longer relevant or worth your energy. This conscious act allows you to “turn off the pause mode” and reclaim your inner strength, like turning off the lights in unused rooms of your subconscious.
By writing down, on a fresh sheet of paper, the tasks you are truly committed to completing, you can consciously direct all your working energy toward achieving what many call Success.
Beyond Unfinished Tasks
And keep in mind, we’ve only talked about unfinished tasks. There are also unresolved grievances, unclear relationships, and unspoken confessions. But that’s a very important part of the work you’ll need to do on your own.
Wishing you luck, strength, and energy!