Are half-developed thoughts Open Loops? Do I need to capture them?
A lot of work-in-progress bloat comes from thoughts flitting through my head.
A thought flits through. It feels important enough to develop. I start writing. I capture the seed thought, but I don't fully develop it. Now it's an open task in my in-progress list.
Maybe I could not write it down and not capture as in-progress. But then, won't it be an open loop taking up brain space?
I must cultivate the ability to Let Go.
Let it go, and let it neither take up brain space, nor in-progress space.
Notice the thought.
Acknowledge it.
Let it go.
Gently bring my focus back to what I've already started.
Remember that I can't possibly capture all ideas, because there are always more ideas than time to develop them, so just let it go.
Namaste.
OR...
That feels Zen but unsatisfying. I reject that solution.
If it feels important, do capture the thought.
Let that captured thought be an Artifact.
If it's not fully developed at that point, then it is a Question.
Kick it over to my Questions list, and consider it Done.
Periodically review my Questions to direct my curiosity.
Since it is Captured, it is out of my head. Since it is Done, it is not In Progress. Open Loop Closed, Open Task Done, and I remind myself that Questions are inherently valuable.