Can writing a plan quiet the open loops in your head? (2011)

Unfinished goals hang around in the mind. In these studies they caused intrusive thoughts during an unrelated reading task and worse performance on anagrams. The interesting finding is that you don't have to finish the task: writing a specific plan for it (how, when and where) removed those effects. The benefit was tied to how earnest the plan was, which is a research-backed case for getting open loops out of your head and into a system you trust.

Where I'm less sure: these are small lab studies with undergraduates from 2011, and from a research group whose best-known other finding, ego depletion, has struggled to replicate. Before leaning on this one I'd want to see whether it has been replicated at scale. It also suggests a vague to-do list may not be enough; the plan has to be specific and meant.

Question: Does writing something down actually let you stop thinking about it? What separates a note that quiets the loop from one that doesn't?