I have to get export permits. The thought intimidates me.

What about this intimidates? Legally? No problem. The object is covered by application procedures that are at least clear.

Tedious? Maybe. Most procedures like this involve getting only one or two signatures, with one supporting document (already prepared), and a fee. One week and I’m done.

So, what intimidates is not the problem outside, but the anxiety inside. The problem in my thinking. I’m intimately familiar with at least one of the culprits: the Zeigarnik Effect.

The Zeigarnik Effect is a psychological phenomenon named after its discoverer, Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik (1901-1988). She noticed that waiters were better at remembering uncompleted orders than completed ones. She confirmed the phenomenon through studies she conducted in the 1920s.

Cognitive psychology suggests an explanation.

The brain’s cognitive tension system is aroused when a task is started but not finished. This tension creates a mental preoccupation with the uncompleted task, resulting in the task being more readily recalled. Once completed, the tension is relieved, and the brain is less likely to recall the details of the task, as it is no longer a matter of concern.

Although the neurobiology is unclear, it’s reasonable to associate the Effect with the activation of brain regions related to attention and memory. These hypotheses are based on the broader understanding of memory, attention, and motivation systems in the brain.

We begin with the prefrontal cortex, site of attention, working memory, and decision-making. The hippocampus, crucial for memory consolidation and retrieval, might be engaged differently for completed and uncompleted tasks due to the tension difference.

The amygdala might play a role. A key part of the brain’s limbic system, the amygdala plays a crucial role in processing emotions, including fear and anxiety. It also contributes to the emotional aspect of pain. When the thought of long bureaucratic procedures makes one anxious, the amygdala goes hyperactive, making the pain feel worse. Signals from the amygdala feed back into the prefrontal cortex giving it a kind of tunnel vision. As a result, one might make decisions with too little information and too much emotion.

If one doesn’t procrastinate by ignoring the problem, one might still paralyze oneself through overthinking. Focusing on only a few aspects of the problem could kill a course of action that could otherwise have proceeded had key information not been ignored. One can fixate on the worst case scenario. I prefer paralysis in this case over an ill considered course of action.

But one will still have to face the issue. Therefore, beat overthinking.

The first step is to know that 99% of a problem lies in one’s thinking, and 1% in reality. How we gather and verify facts, from whom we seek advice, our attitude towards risk and failure have a greater bearing on the outcome of our struggle with problems than the actual dangers.

At this point I suggest three strategems.

First, Time and Silence. There MAY be good reasons not to take action, and being emotional is one of them. If the situation allows it, let that emotion pass before you study your options. If you only have seconds to decide — which happens rarely — then go where your gut leads you and hope for the best.

Second, Fact Check Your Thinking. It may look tedious to check one’s facts, so let’s put the costs in perspective. Use the 1-10-100 Rule. It costs $1 to validate one’s facts, $10 to correct wrong facts, and $100 to reverse a bad decision. Be aware also of the fact that the Zeigarnik Effect is a psychological phenomenon, an illusion.

And third, Live in the Present because only the present is real. The outcomes of your scenarios, none of them are actually disastrous because they haven’t actually happened. All Worry and anxiety are about the future, guilt is about the past, and both past and future are UNREAL. Focus on the now and put one foot over the other.

Climbing a mountain involves occasionally checking for coordinates or the weather. And it’s also about stopping and enjoying the scenery. But do be relentless.

And you may well fail. Then think of failure as showing the way by NOT being the way. Use it. Double back. Then keep at it.

(Q.C., 230801)