Just yesterday, I received an email nudging me gently to do something I could have sworn I had already done. I hadn’t. So, what made me think I had done it? It turns out that we can mistake an intention for an action. I meant to respond to that email, and therefore, my brain checked it off as a completed task. Thanks, brain, for leading me astray.
If you’ve ever done this, you may be relieved to find out that it’s totally normal—and common, according to a new study from Dolores Albarracin and her University of Illinois colleagues. Their research revealed that when we intend to do something, it can trigger our brains to think we actually did it. They found that the effect is even more substantial when intending to do something is very similar to doing it.
To keep reading, click here: Managers, Cure Your Forgetfulness with a Simple Accountability Trick