Weekly direction checks verify that daily micro-actions…
Pair daily micro-commitments with weekly direction checks to verify accumulated actions build toward the macro-goal rather than merely generating activity, adjusting trajectory when micro-actions prove directionally misaligned.
When This Fires
- Weekly, as a scheduled companion to daily micro-commitment tracking
- When micro-commitments are being met consistently but macro-progress feels stalled
- When "I'm doing the work but not getting the results" — direction may be the issue, not execution
- Complements Micro-commitments must pass three tests-674 (micro-commitment design and framing) with the strategic alignment layer
Common Failure Mode
Activity without direction: "I wrote 200 words every day this week!" But were the words advancing the book's argument or filling pages? Without the direction check, high-frequency execution produces high-volume output that may or may not serve the goal. The direction check is 10 minutes weekly that saves months of accumulated misdirection.
The Protocol
(1) Each week (same day, same time — make it a triggered event), review accumulated daily micro-actions: what did I produce this week through consistent daily execution? (2) Ask: "Does this week's accumulated output move me closer to the macro-goal, or did it generate activity without progress?" (3) If directionally aligned → continue. Execution and direction are in sync. (4) If directionally misaligned → adjust the micro-commitment's content (not its frequency or size) to realign with the macro-goal. Same daily habit, different focus within the habit. (5) Track direction-check findings over months: if the micro-commitment keeps needing directional correction, the macro-goal may be poorly defined.