Have you ever watched an episode of a television show that ends unresolved? What were you compelled to do? If you are like me, you wanted to know what happens next, couldn’t wait to delay the gratification, and waited for the Netflix auto-play countdown to start the next episode.
The cliffhanger strategy is a clever trick the entertainment industry uses to get consumers to spend more time on their platforms. Fortunately, this strategy can be reverse-engineered and be used for more productive means, such as reading. In this blog post I will show you how.
This Post in Summary
- You can build dramatic tension in your own life to spark action. Dramatic tension is a growing sense of expectation within the drama; a feeling that the story is building up towards something exciting.
- A study shows that unfinished tasks weigh on people’s mind, and leave them in an incomplete state. This phenomenon proves that unresolved tasks, or cliffhangers, serve as a powerful tool for motivation.
- You’re more likely to pick up a book a second time if you end on a cliffhanger. When you leave yourself a positive incentive to return, you will eventually associate reading with a reward.
How the Cliffhanger Strategy Is Used in Entertainment
A couple of years ago, a show named Breaking Bad caught my interest.
Breaking Bad tells the story of main character Walter White, an underpaid high school chemistry teacher who struggles with lung cancer. Prior to becoming a teacher, Walter and his friend, Elliott Schwartz, formed a research group. When the start of the business was slower than expected, and failure seemed more likely than success, Walter sold all of his shares to Elliott.
Walter then pursued a career in education and landed a job as a high school chemistry teacher. To his misfortune, the business became highly successful, making his sold shares worth 720 million dollars.
Desperate to secure his family’s financial future, he resorts to a life of crime and uses his background to produce and distribute crystal meth.
The storyline gripped me, and I’m not proud to admit that I finished all 62 episodes of Breaking Bad in just 2 weeks…
Throughout Walter’s journey, there were many sudden episode endings that shocked me and left me eager to watch the following one. I couldn’t stop thinking about the narrative, and wondered, “What will happen next?”, while working through different scenarios on how the plot might end.
Producers end episodes when the dramatic tension is at a high level. Dramatic tension is a growing sense of expectation within the drama; a feeling that the story is building up towards something exciting. Without dramatic tension, it is hard to keep viewers engaged with what is happening.
When it’s done right—as in Breaking Bad—people get curious about the outcome. As the conflict builds up, you wonder, “How is this conflict going to resolve?”. To find answers, you need to watch the next episode, which will probably end unresolved once again.
Why the Cliffhanger Strategy Is Effective
TV series on Netflix have turned the art of cliffhanger endings into a science. Netflix has amassed 195.15 million paid users and a market value of $214.27 billion dollars, largely in part because its shows keep loose ends untied and resolutions withheld.1 It takes willpower to stop watching, and that is exactly how the people at Netflix want it.
Cliffhangers are not just used in movies or TV shows, but also in the written word. The cliffhanger technique is often used in books to incentivize the reader to flip to the next chapter. An open loop at the end of a chapter weighs on the reader’s mind and is a great way to engage them with content.
Personally, I like to use cliffhanger effects in my blog posts and On-Track Newsletter, where I introduce an idea but don’t resolve it until the next part. A good cliffhanger, if used correctly, does not just incentivize people to watch more TV, but it is a fantastic way to teach people new ideas that can improve their lives.
Zeigarnik’s Study on Uncompleted Tasks
In 1927, a researcher named Bluma Zeigarnik held an experiment to study the effects of interruption on people. She asked participants to complete a series of tasks quickly and correctly.
The test subjects didn’t know that Zeigarnik had randomly assigned them to one of two groups: Group one had to stop without finishing the tasks, while group two could finish the work and take as much time as needed.
Zeigarnik interrupted people when they were most engrossed in their work. Some reacted strongly and didn’t want to stop, even when she insisted upon it.
Once the test finished, the researcher asked all participants to explain the work they had done. Surprisingly, Zeigarnik found that the interrupted group remembered the tasks 90% better the other group. They performed better than those who completed the task because they didn’t get the closure they expected.
Unfinished tasks weighed on their mind, and left them in an incomplete state. This phenomenon proves that unresolved tasks, or cliffhangers, serve as a powerful tool for motivation.
They understand that the human brain wants closure, and that stories without clear endings leave people wanting more. When I found myself binge-watching all of Breaking Bad in 2 weeks, my mind was in an incomplete state after nearly every episode.
How The Cliffhanger Strategy Can Motivate You to Action
You can motivate yourself to action by leaving a task unresolved. Just like producers use cliffhangers to encourage you to return, you can use cliffhangers to come back to a task.
If you want to make reading a habit, stop reading when you come across a piece of content that makes you feel curious, surprised, or shocked. Similarly, you can take a break when you’re captivated or engaged by what you’re reading. That way, you’re leaving yourself in a fun place to start back up, and you are much more likely to return.
When you leave yourself a positive incentive to return, you will eventually associate reading with a reward. Rewards produce a positive emotional experience and teach you what actions are worth remembering. When the last thing you read leaves you stimulated, your brain will try to memorize what you did. It’s your brain saying, “That felt good. I better remember how to do that!”
Make Reading a Habit With the Cliffhanger Strategy
People often say that reading is a chore to them. They say, “The cliffhanger strategy is all good and well, but reading just bores me.” They are aware of the many benefits of reading but struggle to read for ten minutes a day.
The solution is to spend less time on news, movies, video games and social media. The overuse of internet technology can have negative affects on our attention span. When we only consume highly stimulating media, it is difficult to concentrate on less stimulating tasks, such as reading.
I experienced this problem firsthand after I finished Breaking Bad. After I watched 62 episodes filled with drugs, violence and cancer, I struggled to read for just a few minutes a day.
Reading was a chore, and I wasn’t interested in what I was doing. In two weeks, I had conditioned myself to only consume entertaining content. As soon as I realized this, I cut back on my technology consumption to reset. Instead of reading for an hour a day, I lowered the bar and read for five minutes every day. After a couple of weeks of re-conditioning, reading was enjoyable again.
Cliffhangers work well for tasks that require you to concentrate. You can use them to read, study, write, code, or draw more often. To turn any of these into a habit, repeat the action often and in the same context, ideally in the morning.
Do this for just a few minutes every day to condition yourself, and eventually, you will come across something that stimulates you.
I can’t guarantee that you will find a cliffhanger in every habit repetition. A lot of things are out of your control, and there will be times when you won’t feel any emotion at all. There will be days when you would rather procrastinate on a task than do it This is especially true if you often consume a lot of highly stimulating media.
To take full advantage of the cliffhanger strategy, I’d like you to try the exercise below.
The 1-Hour Internet Technology Reset
Do you spend a lot of time in front of a lit-up screen? Recall that the overuse of internet technology can have negative effects on your attention span. Technology is not bad in and of itself, but when you only consume highly stimulating media, it is difficult to concentrate on what’s important.
For this exercise, abstain from all internet technology for one hour. Unplug your internet router, TV, and turn off your phone, tablet and computer. Tell your friends and family that you won’t be able to respond to their messages and calls. Use this special time to create self-awareness and go for a mindful walk.
How often do you reach in your pocket, only to realize your phone isn’t there? Do you get the urge to distract yourself with TV shows, movies or documentaries? Are you wondering what’s happening on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat or Reddit?
If you repeat this exercise weekly, you’ll find that less stimulating tasks are exciting too. It’ll make reading, studying, writing, coding, or drawing more enjoyable. And most importantly, it will allow you to take advantage of the cliffhanger strategy for more productive means.