Rate capacity 1-5 in your first 30 minutes — then select the matching work tier

Why This Is a Rule

Most people start each day with the same plan regardless of how they feel — the same to-do list, the same ambition level, the same expectations. This works on good days and fails on depleted days, producing a pattern of inconsistent output punctuated by guilt about "not being productive enough."

The daily capacity rating converts a vague sense of "how I feel" into a structured decision that selects the right plan for today's actual capacity. Rating 5 (sharp, energized, focused) → execute the ambitious plan with deep work blocks. Rating 3 (average, functional) → execute the standard plan. Rating 1-2 (depleted, foggy) → execute the minimal plan with admin and recovery (see On depleted days (capacity 1-2), cap deep work at 1 hour — do admin and recovery instead).

The rating must happen within the first 30 minutes, before task inertia takes over. Once you start working, you lose the meta-perspective needed to assess capacity honestly — you're inside the work, not above it. The morning assessment window is the only reliable moment for this calibration.

When This Fires

• Every workday morning, within the first 30 minutes
• After waking up and before opening any work tools
• When you need to decide what to tackle today
• As the foundation for all other daily planning decisions

Common Failure Mode

Rating yourself as 4-5 every day because you "should" be high-capacity. The rating is descriptive, not aspirational — it measures where you actually are, not where you want to be. If you rate 4-5 on a day that's actually a 2, you'll plan for high output, fail to deliver, and add guilt to depletion. An honest 2 that's planned for produces a productive low-capacity day; a dishonest 4 produces a failed high-capacity day.

The Protocol

Within 30 minutes of starting your workday: (1) Rate your capacity 1-5 — honestly, not aspirationally. 1 = depleted/foggy, 3 = average/functional, 5 = sharp/energized. (2) Select the corresponding work tier: 1-2 → minimal plan (1hr deep work max, admin, recovery). 3 → standard plan (normal deep work + shallow work balance). 4-5 → ambitious plan (extended deep work, hard problems, creative work). (3) Commit to the tier. Do not upgrade mid-day because you "feel better" — the morning assessment is more reliable than in-task self-evaluation.