Cross-reference domains in weekly review
During weekly reviews, cross-reference externalized domains to detect contradictions—compare stated priorities against time allocation, goals against commitments, assumptions against failure analyses—because isolated review of each domain misses the conflicts that degrade decision quality.
When This Fires
- During weekly reviews after checking individual domains
- When effort feels high but progress feels low
- After making new commitments that might conflict with existing priorities
- Any review session where cross-domain alignment is uncertain
Common Failure Mode
Reviewing each domain sequentially without comparison: "Priorities look good. Time allocation looks reasonable. Goals are on track." Each assessment is done in isolation, so the contradiction between them (priorities and time allocation don't match) is invisible. The cross-reference must be explicit: put the two domains side by side and check for alignment.
The Protocol
During weekly review, after individual domain checks: (1) Priorities vs. time: put your stated priorities next to your actual time allocation. Do they match? If your #1 priority got 10% of your time, there's a contradiction. (2) Goals vs. commitments: put your goals next to your active commitments. Is there enough capacity committed to each goal? If not, something must be cut or deferred. (3) Assumptions vs. failures: check whether any failures this week disproved assumptions you're still operating on. If an assumption failed, update it. These three cross-references take 5 minutes and catch contradictions that isolated reviews miss entirely.