Place commitment reminders where breakdowns happen…

Place written commitments in the physical or digital location where the breakdown typically occurs rather than in convenient filing locations, because visibility at the decision point creates structural friction that memory-based retrieval cannot provide.

When This Fires

After writing any commitment that has a known breakdown pattern
When commitments "work on paper" but fail in practice — the paper isn't at the decision point
When designing the environmental support for a commitment (Upgrade commitment enforcement to Level 3+… Level 3)
Complements Place trigger objects at eye level in routine paths… (trigger placement at eye level) with the commitment-specific placement criterion

Common Failure Mode

Filing commitments for reference: "I wrote my goals in my planning system where I review them weekly." Weekly review doesn't help at the 10 PM kitchen decision. The commitment needs dual placement: in the planning system (for tracking) and at the breakdown location (for enforcement). Convenient filing serves tracking; decision-point placement serves enforcement.

The Protocol

(1) For each written commitment, identify: where does the breakdown typically occur? What physical or digital space are you in when you choose the competing behavior? (2) Place the commitment visibly at that location: sticky note, phone wallpaper, browser start page, physical card in wallet — whatever ensures the commitment is seen at the moment of decision. (3) The placement should be impossible to ignore without effort — the commitment intercepts attention before the competing behavior activates. (4) Accept the aesthetic cost: a sticky note on the pantry is ugly but effective. A beautiful goal document in a drawer is pretty but invisible. Enforcement beats aesthetics. (5) When the breakdown location changes → move the commitment. The placement must track the decision point, not a fixed location.