Weekly cross-check

When This Fires

• During weekly planning when aligning execution systems
• When priorities aren't advancing despite feeling busy — budget orphans may be consuming resources
• When commitments feel unmanaged — they may not be represented in the priority stack
• Complements Budget commitments on two dimensions (dual-dimension budgeting) with the stack-budget integration check

Common Failure Mode

Separate, unlinked systems: priority stack says "write book, launch product, hire team." Commitment budget shows "weekly team meetings (8 hrs), client calls (6 hrs), admin (4 hrs)." The stack and budget describe different realities. The stack says what's important; the budget shows what's actually consuming resources. Without cross-reference, the gap is invisible.

The Protocol

(1) Each week, list your priority stack items. List your budgeted commitments. (2) For each stack item: does it have a corresponding budget entry with actual hours/energy allocated? If no → it's aspirational, not operational. Either budget time for it or remove it from the stack. (3) For each budget entry: does it appear in or serve an item on the priority stack? If no → it's consuming resources outside your priority system. Either add it to the stack (if it's genuinely important) or eliminate/delegate it (if it isn't). (4) After cross-reference: both systems should describe the same reality — what you're working on and what's consuming your resources should match.