You may recall the Magic 8 Ball.
This gimmicky toy was popular after the 1950’s, when it was invented. The player would ask a question, and the game would “reply” with one of 20 pre-set answers such as “It is certain” or “Very doubtful.” The answer would pop up through a transparent window after a quick pause.
Why are auto-schedulers like SkedPal, Focuster or Futurenda like the familiar Magic 8 Ball?
At the end of most tasks and sometimes right in the middle of one) we ask ourselves, “What’s Next?”
It’s shorthand for “Of all the time demands I have created, which one should I start to work on next?”
A good auto-scheduler responds within a few seconds. Unlike its real-life counterpart, the answer it gives is just not a random choice.
Instead, the auto-scheduler goes to work in the background using the attributes you have provided to come up with an optimal response. In the beginning, the task is suggested probably won’t make sense.
Perseverance is a must: over time, this digital companion to your calendar must be trained to give improved responses; to meet your specific needs. Then, it behaves exactly as you would expect and you won’t have to rely on your memory.
As you may already know, this frees you from the Zeigarnik Effect .
But this only happens if your auto-scheduler can be trusted. This emotional bond won’t be built the first time you use it – it takes time, training and continuous use to get the app to provide the support you need.
Dr. Melanie Wilson is a psychologist and very busy mother of six children – a fact she touts in her website’s URL – “pyschowith6.”